The act of erasing, wiping out, or making something disappear; the elimination of traces or evidence. Can also refer to modest self-withdrawal or making oneself inconspicuous.
From French 'effacer,' meaning 'to rub out,' from 'ex-' (out) + 'face' (face, surface). Originally meant literally wiping something off a surface, later extended to figurative erasure and self-effacing behavior.
Think of someone so modest they're trying to erase their own face from the picture - that's self-effacement! Like using an eraser on your own presence, making yourself fade into the background.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.