Delete a document by opening File and selecting Delete

To delete a document in Microsoft Word, open the file you want to remove, then click File in the top left corner. A menu will appear on the left side of your screen. Look for Info near the top of that menu and click it. On the right side, you will see a button that says Delete — click that button, and Word will ask you to confirm. Click Delete again, and the file is gone.

This method works on both Windows and Mac versions of Word. The document closes when ready after deletion, and you return to a blank Word window or the start screen depending on your version.

If you are not sure whether you want to permanently remove the file, you can also move it to your computer's Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac) instead. That way you can recover it later if you change your mind. The delete method through Word removes the file completely and does not send it to the Recycle Bin first.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the document in Word, click File, then Info, then Delete to remove it permanently from your computer.
  • Word asks you to confirm the deletion before it removes the file, so you have a moment to change your mind.
  • Deleting through Word removes the file completely rather than moving it to the Recycle Bin or Trash.
  • If you want to keep the option to recover the file, move it to your Recycle Bin or Trash instead of using the Delete button.
  • On both Windows and Mac, the steps are the same — File, Info, Delete.

Delete a document from File Explorer or Finder instead

You do not have to open Word to delete a document. You can find the file on your computer using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and delete it from there. This method is often faster if you want to remove multiple documents at once or if Word is not already open.

On Windows, open File Explorer, navigate to the folder where your Word document is stored, right-click the file, and select Delete. The file moves to your Recycle Bin. On Mac, open Finder, find the document, right-click it, and select Move to Trash. You can recover files from either location if you delete by mistake.

This approach gives you more control because you can see all your files at once and delete several documents in one action. You can also see the file size and when it was last changed, which helps if you are trying to find a specific version of a document.

Recover a deleted document if you change your mind

If you delete a document and then realize you need it, you can usually recover it. On Windows, open your Recycle Bin (look for an icon on your desktop or search for "Recycle Bin" in the Start menu). Find the Word document you deleted, right-click it, and select Restore. The file returns to its original location on your computer.

On Mac, click the Finder icon in your dock, then look for Trash in the sidebar. Find your document, right-click it, and select Put Back. The file goes back to where it was before you deleted it.

Recovery only works if you deleted the file to the Recycle Bin or Trash — if you used the Delete button inside Word, the file bypassed the Recycle Bin and went straight to permanent deletion. In that case, recovery is not possible through normal means. This is why moving files to the Recycle Bin first is safer if you are unsure.

Empty the Recycle Bin or Trash to permanently remove files

Once you move a document to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac), it still takes up space on your computer until you empty that folder. To permanently delete the file and free up that space, you need to empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

On Windows, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. A confirmation message appears. Click Yes to permanently delete all files in the Recycle Bin. On Mac, click the Finder icon, select Trash from the sidebar, then click Empty in the top right corner. Confirm the action, and all files in Trash are permanently removed.

Once you empty the Recycle Bin or Trash, you cannot recover those files. Make sure you do not need any of the documents in there before you empty it. If you only want to permanently delete one specific file rather than everything in the Recycle Bin, you can leave the Recycle Bin or Trash as is — the file will stay there until you empty the folder.

Delete documents stored in OneDrive or cloud storage

If your Word document is saved to OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud storage service, deleting it works differently. Open Word and navigate to the file location in your cloud storage through the File menu, or open the cloud storage app or website directly. Find the document and delete it from there.

When you delete a file from OneDrive, it moves to the OneDrive Recycle Bin, not your computer's Recycle Bin. You can recover it from there for a limited time — usually 93 days. To permanently delete it from OneDrive, you must empty the OneDrive Recycle Bin separately. Other cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox have similar recovery periods, usually 30 days or longer.

Cloud storage deletion is safer than deleting from your computer because you have a longer window to recover the file. However, if you share the document with other people, deleting it removes it for everyone who has access to it. Make sure no one else needs the file before you delete it from shared storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I delete a Word document by accident?

If you deleted it to the Recycle Bin or Trash, open that folder and restore the file. If you used the Delete button inside Word, the file went straight to permanent deletion and cannot be recovered through normal methods. This is why deleting through File Explorer or Finder is safer — it gives you a recovery window.

Can I delete a Word document that is currently open?

Yes. Open the file, go to File, then Info, then Delete. Word will close the document and remove it. You can also close the document first, then delete it from File Explorer or Finder without opening Word at all.

Does deleting a document from Word also delete it from OneDrive?

If the document is saved to OneDrive, deleting it through Word removes it from OneDrive as well. It moves to the OneDrive Recycle Bin, where you can recover it for about 93 days. If the document is saved only to your computer, deleting it does not affect OneDrive.

How do I delete multiple Word documents at once?

Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), navigate to the folder containing your documents, and select multiple files by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while clicking each one. Right-click and select Delete. All selected files move to the Recycle Bin or Trash at once.

Can I permanently delete a document without it going to the Recycle Bin?

Yes. Use the Delete button inside Word through File and Info, or hold Shift while pressing Delete in File Explorer or Finder. This bypasses the Recycle Bin and permanently removes the file when ready. Use this only when you are certain you do not need the document.