enlever

Senses

1. 1.

   to remove

   to take away or off; to extract

2. 2.

   to take off

   to remove clothing or an object one is wearing

3. 3.

   to abduct; to carry off

   to seize and take someone away, especially unlawfully

4. 4.

   to win; to carry (a victory)

   to gain or obtain through effort or competition

Examples

• "Enlève tes chaussures avant d'entrer."

  Take off your shoes before coming in.

• "Il a enlevé la tache avec du savon."

  He removed the stain with soap.

• "L'armée a enlevé la victoire grâce à sa stratégie."

  The army carried off victory thanks to its strategy.

Usage

Enlever is a common, neutral verb. It pairs with _quelque chose_ for object removal and with clothing/accessories. The sense of "abduct" is more formal or literary. Colloquially, _ôter_ is a near synonym for removing objects; _retirer_ emphasizes withdrawal. Note: "enlever" never means "to read" or "to lift" in the weightlifting sense.