---
name: "drop_database"
section: "7l"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql-client"
version: "7.2.1-2woody8"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/drop_database/7l"
---

# drop\_database(7l)

remove a database

## NAME

DROP DATABASE - remove a database

## SYNOPSIS

```
DROP DATABASE name

```

### INPUTS

- *name*

  The name of an existing database to remove.

### OUTPUTS

- **DROP DATABASE**

  This message is returned if the command is successful.

- **DROP DATABASE: cannot be executed on the currently open database**

  You cannot be connected to the database you are about to remove. Instead, connect to template1 or any other database and run this command again.

- **DROP DATABASE: may not be called in a transaction block**

  You must finish the transaction in progress before you can call this command.

## DESCRIPTION

**DROP DATABASE** removes the catalog entries for an existing database and deletes the directory containing the data. It can only be executed by the database owner (usually the user that created it).

**DROP DATABASE** cannot be undone. Use it with care!

### NOTES

This command cannot be executed while connected to the target database. Thus, it might be more convenient to use the shell script dropdb \[[**dropdb**(1)](/dropdb/1.md)\], which is a wrapper around this command, instead.

Refer to CREATE DATABASE \[**create\_database**(l)\] for information on how to create a database.

## COMPATIBILITY

### SQL92

**DROP DATABASE** statement is a PostgreSQL language extension; there is no such command in SQL92.