How to Remove an Item From a Specific Position in JavaScript

This reference explains an individual array operation. For the learning sequence, start with JavaScript arrays and array transformations.

In JavaScript, this can be done in several ways—some modify the original array, while others return a new one. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through different methods to remove an item at a specific index in an array in JavaScript, with examples and explanation.

The splice() method allows you to remove or replace elements from any position. This method modifies the original array in place.

const fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];

const removed = fruits.splice(1, 1);
console.log("Updated array:", fruits);
console.log("Removed item:", removed[0]);

Updated array: ["apple", "cherry"]
Removed item: banana

Want to remove an item without changing the original array? filter() lets you create a new array by excluding items based on a condition. This is an excellent approach when working with immutable data patterns such as in React or Redux.

const fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];

const indexToRemove = 1;
const newFruits = fruits.filter((_, index) => index !== indexToRemove);
console.log("Original array:", fruits);
console.log("New array:", newFruits);

Original array: ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
New array: ["apple", "cherry"]

Another non-mutating approach involves combining slice() and the spread operator to rebuild the array while skipping the item at the target index.

const fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];

const indexToRemove = 1;
const newFruits = [...fruits.slice(0, indexToRemove), ...fruits.slice(indexToRemove + 1)];
console.log("Original array:", fruits);
console.log("New array:", newFruits);

Original array: ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
New array: ["apple", "cherry"]

• splice(): Great for direct manipulation and quick operations when mutating the original array is acceptable or required.
• filter(): Ideal for clean and readable code, especially in functional or reactive paradigms where immutability is important.
• slice() + Spread: A balanced approach offering clarity and immutability without functional callbacks.

Check whether the operation changes the original array, and test empty inputs and missing matches. Compare related operations in the reference library.