to dispose of
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to dispose of
To properly remove or render harmless waste, trash, or pollutants.
Die alten Batterien müssen bei einer speziellen Sammelstelle entsorgt werden.
The old batteries must be disposed of at a special collection point.
The word consists of the prefix 'ent-' (away) and the verb 'sorgen' (to worry/care). Literally, 'entsorgen' (to dispose of) means to remove a worry or burden, which explains the meaning 'to get rid of something' well.
Der alte Schrank war eine Last, wir waren froh, ihn endlich zu entsorgen.
The old cabinet was a burden; we were glad to finally dispose of it.
'Entsorgen' (to dispose of) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ent-' remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and tenses and is not placed at the end of the sentence.
Er entsorgt den Müll immer am Montag.
He always disposes of the trash on Mondays.
In its main meaning, 'entsorgen' (to dispose of) is often combined with specific types of waste. Typical examples are: 'Müll entsorgen' (to dispose of trash), 'Altöl entsorgen' (to dispose of used oil), 'Bauschutt entsorgen' (to dispose of construction debris), or 'Sondermüll entsorgen' (to dispose of hazardous waste).
Man darf Elektroschrott nicht im Hausmüll entsorgen.
You must not dispose of electronic waste in household trash.
When 'entsorgen' (to dispose of) is used for people or unwanted things, it is strongly colloquial and has a very negative, cynical undertone. It expresses that someone or something is being treated as worthless 'Müll' (trash).
Er hat seine alten Liebesbriefe einfach im Kamin „entsorgt“.
He simply 'got rid of' his old love letters in the fireplace.
go / loose
'los' in 'etwas loswerden' (to get rid of something) and 'entsorgen' can both mean that you get something out of the way. 'Loswerden' is more general and often more personal: you no longer want to have something. 'Entsorgen' is used especially for trash, old devices, or dangerous substances. It means that you remove something properly and safely. When it is about waste or recycling, 'entsorgen' is more precise. When the only important point is that you no longer want to have something, 'loswerden' or 'los sein' sounds more natural.
Alte Batterien darf man nicht im normalen Müll entsorgen.
You must not dispose of old batteries in regular trash.
Wir wollen die kaputten Stühle vor dem Umzug loswerden.
We want to get rid of the broken chairs before the move.