Preamble
Oracle/PLSQL operator DROP TABLE allows you to clear or delete a table from an Oracle database.
Syntax of DROP TABLE operator in Oracle
DROP TABLE [schema_name].table_name
[ CASCADE ]
[ PURGE ]
Operator parameters and arguments
- schema_name – name of the scheme, to which the table belongs.
- table_name – the name of the table that will be removed from the Oracle database.
- CASCADE CONSTRAINTS – Optional. If this parameter is set, all reference integrity restrictions will also be removed.
- PURGE – Optional. If specified, the table and its dependent objects will be removed from the trash and you cannot restore the table. If PURGE is not specified, the table and its dependent objects are placed in the trash and can be restored later if necessary.
Note:
If there are reference integrity limitations on table_name and you have not specified the CASCADE CONSTRAINTS parameter, the DROP TABLE operator returns an error and Oracle will not remove the table.
Consider an example that shows how to delete a table in Oracle using the DROP TABLE operator.
For example:
DROP TABLE customers;
This Oracle/PLSQL DROP TABLE example will delete the customers table.
Parameter PURGE
Let’s see how the PURGE parameter of the DROP TABLE operator can be used in Oracle.
In the Oracle/PLSQL DROP TABLE operator, you can specify the PURGE parameter. PURGE will clear the table and its dependent objects so that they do not appear in the trash.
The risk of specifying PURGE is that you will not be able to restore the table. However, the benefit of using PURGE is that you have a guarantee that your confidential data will not be left in your shopping cart.
DROP TABLE customers PURGE;
Oracle/PLSQL TABLE DROP will delete the customers table and the output of PURGE will be such that the space associated with the customers table is cleared. In other words, the customers table will not fit in the trash, so it cannot be restored later if necessary.
Tutorial: How to Drop Table in Oracle SQL database
About Enteros
Enteros offers a patented database performance management SaaS platform. It proactively identifies root causes of complex business-impacting database scalability and performance issues across a growing number of clouds, RDBMS, NoSQL, and machine learning database platforms.
The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Enteros Inc. This blog may contain links to the content of third-party sites. By providing such links, Enteros Inc. does not adopt, guarantee, approve, or endorse the information, views, or products available on such sites.
Are you interested in writing for Enteros’ Blog? Please send us a pitch!
RELATED POSTS
How to Transform Financial Operations with Enteros Database Software and Growth Intelligence
- 17 June 2026
- Database Performance Management
Introduction Financial institutions operate in one of the most data-intensive and highly regulated environments in the world. Banks, insurance companies, investment firms, fintech organizations, and financial service providers rely heavily on digital platforms to process transactions, manage risk, deliver customer experiences, and drive business growth. Today’s financial ecosystems support: Digital banking platforms Payment processing systems … Continue reading “How to Transform Financial Operations with Enteros Database Software and Growth Intelligence”
How to Modernize Telecom Cost Attribution with Enteros Database Management Platform and Growth Analytics
Introduction Telecommunications companies operate some of the most complex technology environments in the world. Every call, message, video stream, internet session, billing transaction, and customer interaction generates enormous amounts of operational and financial data. As telecom providers continue expanding 5G networks, cloud services, digital platforms, IoT offerings, and AI-driven customer experiences, infrastructure complexity and operational … Continue reading “How to Modernize Telecom Cost Attribution with Enteros Database Management Platform and Growth Analytics”
How Intelligent Database Monitoring Helps Prevent Costly Application Downtime
In today’s always-on digital economy, application availability is directly tied to business success. Whether supporting e-commerce transactions, financial services, SaaS platforms, healthcare systems, or enterprise operations, modern applications are expected to deliver seamless performance around the clock. Even brief outages can result in lost revenue, damaged customer trust, operational disruption, and reputational harm. At the … Continue reading “How Intelligent Database Monitoring Helps Prevent Costly Application Downtime”
Improving Enterprise IT Efficiency with AI-Powered Database Anomaly Detection
In today’s digital-first enterprise environment, IT teams are under constant pressure to maintain high application availability, optimize infrastructure costs, and ensure seamless performance across increasingly complex systems. Enterprises rely on databases to power critical workloads such as customer transactions, analytics, reporting, automation, and business intelligence. As data volumes and workload complexity grow, even small database … Continue reading “Improving Enterprise IT Efficiency with AI-Powered Database Anomaly Detection”