Learn English – Difference between apart and separate

Like many other English words, the word "free" has several overlapping meanings, and two of those meanings turn out to be problematic when discussing software. In particular, "this software is free" could mean:

• free as in free beer: "this software costs no money to use"; or
• free as in free speech: "this software has few or no restrictions on how it may be used"

To remove the ambiguity, some people write "gratis software" to mean the first kind (costs no money), and "free software" to mean the second kind (has few or no restrictions).

Some examples:

• Neither gratis nor free software: Most commercial software falls into this category. If you want Microsoft Office, you must both pay money for it, and agree to a lot of restrictions on how you can use the software. For example, you are not allowed to edit the internal workings of Microsoft Office to make it behave differently, fix a bug, et cetera.

• Gratis, but not free software: Adobe Reader is available without charge, but if you want to use it you must agree to a number of restrictions on how you use it. For example, you are allowed to run the software. But you are not allowed to package it up and sell it as something else to another person.

• Free and gratis software: The Blender Game Engine is the building block of many games. You can use Blender at no charge, and you are only minimally restricted in how you use Blender or what you do with it.

Gratis is not otherwise an everyday word in English, outside of specialized distinctions like this one.

Eradicate according to Dictionary.com means:

To remove or destroy utterly; extirpate:

To eradicate smallpox throughout the world.

And the etymology of eradicate is out root, to pull up by the roots. So, to eradicate means to wipe out from the roots. This usage is usually for non-human items such as small pox in the example given.

Annihilate according to Dictionary.com, means:

1. To reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly:

The heavy bombing almost annihilated the city.

2. To destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out:

To annihilate an army.

The etymology of this word is to nothing. To annihilate is to wipe out something to nothing. This usage from what I have seen, is usually for human related things such as army and city in the examples I have given.