What is De-indexing?
Also called: Delisting, Search removal
Short answer
Removing a URL from a search engine’s results so it no longer appears for a given query, without deleting the page itself.
The page stays online at its own address. What changes is whether Google returns it when someone searches your name.
Routes that work are the lawful ones: a court finding of defamation, outdated or resolved content, personal data and right-to-be-forgotten requests, impersonation, and copyright. Each has its own form, evidence requirements and success rate.
Why it matters
Since almost nobody reaches a page except through search, de-indexing achieves most of what deletion would — and is available in cases where deletion is not.