Riddance
/ˈrɪd.əns/noun
The act of getting rid of something unwanted.
Did you know?The word is built from the Old English verb *rīdan* (“to ride”), because in Middle English it could mean a clearing-away or dispatching away, not the magical banishment vibe people often feel in it today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reydʰ-
“to ride, journey”
Old English
OE
rīdan
“to ride; travel astride”
Middle English
ME
riden
“to drive away; dispatch; get rid of”
15th Century
English
riddaunce
“the act of ridding or clearing away”
Modern English
English
riddance
“the act of getting rid of something unwanted”