strike off: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2-C1Formal to neutral; common in professional, legal, and business contexts.
Quick answer
What does “strike off” mean?
To remove officially from a list, register, or membership.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To remove officially from a list, register, or membership; to delete or cancel.
Can also mean to begin moving or acting quickly, especially on a journey; or in printing/legal contexts, to produce copies or to separate items by drawing a line through them.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use it, but 'strike off' is more firmly established in UK professional/legal jargon (e.g., 'struck off the medical register'). In US English, 'disbar' (lawyers) or 'revoke the license of' is often equally or more common, though 'strike off' is understood.
Connotations
In both, it carries a formal, serious, often punitive connotation when referring to professional removal.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English, particularly in news and professional disciplinary reports.
Grammar
How to Use “strike off” in a Sentence
[NP] strike off [NP][NP] be struck off [NP]strike [NP] off [NP]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “strike off” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The General Medical Council can strike off doctors for ethical breaches.
- We need to strike off that defunct charity from our records.
American English
- The state bar moved to strike off the attorney for fraud.
- Let's strike off those outdated entries from the database.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The registrar will strike off the dissolved company from the official register.
Academic
The journal decided to strike off the retracted article from its digital archive.
Everyday
Let's strike off the items we've already bought from the shopping list.
Technical
The printer will strike off 100 copies for proofing before the full run.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “strike off”
- Using 'strike out' instead (which means to cross out text or to fail).
- Incorrect word order: 'strike it off' is correct; 'strike off it' is incorrect.
- Using it intransitively without an object in the removal sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Strike off' means to remove from a list officially. 'Strike out' means to draw a line through text, or to fail completely (e.g., 'I struck out at the tryouts').
Yes. In administrative contexts, it can be neutral, e.g., striking off a dissolved company, or in printing ('strike off copies'). It can also mean to start walking briskly ('strike off down the path').
The correct past tense and past participle is 'struck off' (irregular verb). 'Striked off' is incorrect.
The term is understood, but 'disbarred' is the more specific and common term for lawyers. 'Struck off' might be used more broadly for other licensed professionals.
To remove officially from a list, register, or membership.
Strike off is usually formal to neutral; common in professional, legal, and business contexts. in register.
Strike off: in British English it is pronounced /ˌstraɪk ˈɒf/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌstraɪk ˈɔːf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Struck off the rolls (specific legal idiom)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a judge striking a name OFF a list with a gavel. The action is decisive and official.
Conceptual Metaphor
REMOVAL IS STRIKING (A physical act of deletion). STATUS IS A LIST (Losing status is being removed from a list).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'strike off' MOST commonly and formally used?