DROP TABLE | SQL Statements | Teradata Database - DROP TABLE - Teradata Database

SQL Data Definition Language Syntax and Examples

Deployment
VantageCloud
VantageCore
Edition
VMware
Enterprise
IntelliFlex
Product
Teradata Database
Release Number
20.00
Publication Date
June 2025
Content Type
SQL Reference
Publication ID
B035-1144-200K
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en-US
ft:lastEdition
2026-09-23
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Drops the definition for a specified table from the Data Dictionary and from the containing database or user, depending on the keyword specified.

You can drop a base table or materialized global temporary table, depending on the keyword specified.

Keyword Specified Database Object Dropped
TABLE Base table definition and all table rows.

The definition of a base table is restricted to persistent base tables, queue tables, and volatile tables. Also, drops definition of global temporary table (if TEMPORARY keyword is not specified).

To drop a materialized global temporary table, you must specify the keyword TEMPORARY.

TEMPORARY TABLE Materialized global temporary table.

To drop a data table that has an associated error table, you must first drop its error table. See DROP ERROR TABLE.

ANSI Compliance

DROP TABLE is ANSI SQL:2011-compliant.

Required Privileges

You must have the appropriate DROP privilege on the specified base table or queue table.

You do not need the DROP privilege to drop materialized global temporary or volatile tables.