`rm` Remove files and directories

Deletes files, and with -r whole folders. There is no trash and no undo: removed files are gone. Check what you are about to delete before you press Enter.

Synopsis

rm [-f | -i] [-dIRrv] FILE...

Common options

Option or form	What it does
`-r, -R`	Remove folders and everything inside them. Needed for non-empty folders
`-d`	Also remove empty folders, without needing -r
`-i`	Interactive: ask before each removal
`-I`	Ask once if more than three files, or a folder tree, would be removed
`-f`	Force: no prompts, and no error if a file does not exist
`-v`	Verbose: print each file as it is removed

Examples

Delete one file

touch old.txt && rm old.txt

Ask before deleting each file

rm -i report.pdf draft.docx

Delete files and show each one

touch a.tmp b.tmp && rm -v a.tmp b.tmp

Delete an empty folder

mkdir scratch && rm -d scratch

Delete a folder and its contents

rm -r docs/old

Delete log files that match a pattern, checking first

ls /var/log/app/*.log && rm -i /var/log/app/*.log

Notes

Warning: rm deletes permanently. It does not use the Trash or Recycle Bin, and recovery is rarely possible. Run ls with the same pattern first to see what will match.
Warning: rm -rf deletes a whole tree without asking. A stray space or a variable that turns out empty, as in rm -rf $DIR/, can remove far more than you meant. Quote variables and double-check paths.
macOS rm refuses to remove /, . and .. but it will happily remove your home folder or a project folder if you tell it to.
A name that starts with a dash is read as an option. Use rm -- -file or rm ./-file to delete it.
-f hides errors for missing files. That is useful in scripts, but it can also hide typos, since rm -f with a wrong name reports success.

rm Remove files and directories

Synopsis

Common options

Examples

Notes

See also

`rm` Remove files and directories