erase vs delete

erase and delete both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
erase	No	No	Yes	No
delete	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, erase and delete are synonyms defined as:

erase and delete: wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information

As verbs, delete is a hypernym of erase; that is, delete is a word with a broader meaning than erase:

Other hypernyms of erase include cancel.

erase (verb)	delete (verb)
remove from memory or existence	cut or eliminate
wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information	wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information
remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing	remove or make invisible