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eliminatoria

eh-lee-mee-nah-toh-ryah/eluminaˈtoɾja/

“eliminatoria” means “qualifying round” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

qualifying round, play-off

Also: heat, knockout match
NounfB1
Latin America
A colorful storybook illustration of a group of runners crossing a finish line with a large gate in the background.

📝 In Action

España ganó la eliminatoria contra Italia.

A2

Spain won the qualifying round against Italy.

Estamos en la fase de eliminatorias para el Mundial.

B1

We are in the qualifying phase for the World Cup.

Fue una eliminatoria muy reñida que se decidió en el último minuto.

B2

It was a very close play-off that was decided in the last minute.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • clasificación (qualification)
  • ronda (round)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • pasar la eliminatoria – to go through to the next round
  • eliminatorias sudamericanas – South American qualifiers
  • jugar una eliminatoria – to play a qualifying match

eliminating, qualifying

A colorful storybook illustration of a hand lifting a single red ball out of a group of many blue balls.

📝 In Action

La primera prueba del examen es eliminatoria.

B2

The first part of the exam is an eliminating one (you must pass to continue).

Corrieron una vuelta eliminatoria.

B2

They ran a qualifying lap.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • selectiva (selective)

Common Collocations

  • prueba eliminatoria – knockout test
  • fase eliminatoria – elimination phase

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: eliminatoria

Question 1 of 3

If a soccer team is playing 'la eliminatoria', what are they doing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
eliminar(to eliminate) — Verb
eliminación(elimination) — Noun
eliminatorio(eliminatory/qualifying) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'eliminare', which literally meant 'to put out of the threshold' or 'to kick out of the house'.

First recorded: 19th century (in a sports/competition context)

Cognates (Related words)

English: eliminationFrench: éliminatoire

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'eliminatoria' used only for sports?

Mostly, but it is also used for any competition with rounds, like math Olympics, talent shows, or even stages in high-stakes job applications (exams).

Does it mean the same as 'play-off'?

Yes, in many contexts they are identical. However, 'eliminatoria' specifically emphasizes that someone is being eliminated from the tournament.

How do you say 'World Cup Qualifiers'?

In Spanish, we simply say 'Las eliminatorias para el Mundial' or just 'Las eliminatorias'.