diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/remove-safe-eval.yml b/changelogs/fragments/remove-safe-eval.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..152249dcd5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/remove-safe-eval.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+removed_features:
+  - module_utils - Remove previously deprecated ``safe_eval`` function (#85996) (#85999)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
index a630e4bf026..e67299b8611 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ from ansible.module_utils.common.parameters import (
 from ansible.module_utils.errors import AnsibleFallbackNotFound, AnsibleValidationErrorMultiple, UnsupportedError
 from ansible.module_utils.common.validation import (
     check_missing_parameters,
-    safe_eval,
 )
 from ansible.module_utils.common._utils import get_all_subclasses as _get_all_subclasses
 from ansible.module_utils.parsing.convert_bool import BOOLEANS, BOOLEANS_FALSE, BOOLEANS_TRUE, boolean
@@ -1244,10 +1243,6 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
                 if not hasattr(self, PASS_VARS[k][0]):
                     setattr(self, PASS_VARS[k][0], PASS_VARS[k][1])
 
-    def safe_eval(self, value, locals=None, include_exceptions=False):
-        # deprecated: description='no longer used in the codebase' core_version='2.21'
-        return safe_eval(value, locals, include_exceptions)
-
     def _load_params(self):
         """ read the input and set the params attribute.
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/common/validation.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/common/validation.py
index 81100cd5bce..76028cc5ba7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/common/validation.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/common/validation.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import decimal
 import json
 import os
-import re
 
 from ast import literal_eval
 from ansible.module_utils._internal import _no_six
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@ from ansible.module_utils.common import json as _common_json
 from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.common.collections import is_iterable
 from ansible.module_utils.common.text.formatters import human_to_bytes
-from ansible.module_utils.common.warnings import deprecate
 from ansible.module_utils.parsing.convert_bool import boolean
 
 
@@ -35,38 +33,6 @@ def count_terms(terms, parameters):
     return len(set(terms).intersection(parameters))
 
 
-def safe_eval(value, locals=None, include_exceptions=False):
-    deprecate(
-        "The safe_eval function should not be used.",
-        version="2.21",
-    )
-    # do not allow method calls to modules
-    if not isinstance(value, str):
-        # already templated to a datavaluestructure, perhaps?
-        if include_exceptions:
-            return (value, None)
-        return value
-    if re.search(r'\w\.\w+\(', value):
-        if include_exceptions:
-            return (value, None)
-        return value
-    # do not allow imports
-    if re.search(r'import \w+', value):
-        if include_exceptions:
-            return (value, None)
-        return value
-    try:
-        result = literal_eval(value)
-        if include_exceptions:
-            return (result, None)
-        else:
-            return result
-    except Exception as e:
-        if include_exceptions:
-            return (value, e)
-        return value
-
-
 def check_mutually_exclusive(terms, parameters, options_context=None):
     """Check mutually exclusive terms against argument parameters
 
diff --git a/test/sanity/ignore.txt b/test/sanity/ignore.txt
index e5081746dc9..bb3f024e21f 100644
--- a/test/sanity/ignore.txt
+++ b/test/sanity/ignore.txt
@@ -234,8 +234,6 @@ test/integration/targets/ansible-test-sanity-pylint/deprecated_thing.py pylint:a
 test/integration/targets/ansible-test-sanity-pylint/deprecated_thing.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-unnecessary-collection-name  # required to verify plugin against core
 test/integration/targets/ansible-test-sanity-pylint/deprecated_thing.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-collection-name-not-permitted  # required to verify plugin against core
 lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version  # TODO: 2.21
-lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version-comment  # TODO: 2.21
-lib/ansible/module_utils/common/validation.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version  # TODO: 2.21
 lib/ansible/module_utils/compat/paramiko.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version  # TODO: 2.21
 lib/ansible/plugins/connection/paramiko_ssh.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version  # TODO: 2.21
 lib/ansible/plugins/strategy/__init__.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-version  # TODO: 2.21
diff --git a/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_safe_eval.py b/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_safe_eval.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3df214c3562..00000000000
--- a/test/units/module_utils/basic/test_safe_eval.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-# (c) 2015-2017, Toshio Kuratomi <tkuratomi@ansible.com>
-# GNU General Public License v3.0+ (see COPYING or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt)
-
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-from itertools import chain
-
-import typing as t
-
-import pytest
-
-
-# Strings that should be converted into a typed value
-VALID_STRINGS: tuple[tuple[str, t.Any], ...] = (
-    ("'a'", 'a'),
-    ("'1'", '1'),
-    ("1", 1),
-    ("True", True),
-    ("False", False),
-    ("{}", {}),
-)
-
-# Passing things that aren't strings should just return the object
-NONSTRINGS = (
-    ({'a': 1}, {'a': 1}),
-)
-
-# These strings are not basic types.  For security, these should not be
-# executed.  We return the same string and get an exception for some
-INVALID_STRINGS = (
-    ("a=1", "a=1", SyntaxError),
-    ("a.foo()", "a.foo()", None),
-    ("import foo", "import foo", None),
-    ("__import__('foo')", "__import__('foo')", ValueError),
-)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('code, expected, stdin',
-                         ((c, e, {}) for c, e in chain(VALID_STRINGS, NONSTRINGS)),
-                         indirect=['stdin'])
-def test_simple_types(am, code, expected):
-    # test some basic usage for various types
-    assert am.safe_eval(code) == expected
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('code, expected, stdin',
-                         ((c, e, {}) for c, e in chain(VALID_STRINGS, NONSTRINGS)),
-                         indirect=['stdin'])
-def test_simple_types_with_exceptions(am, code, expected):
-    # Test simple types with exceptions requested
-    assert am.safe_eval(code, include_exceptions=True), (expected, None)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('code, expected, stdin',
-                         ((c, e, {}) for c, e, dummy in INVALID_STRINGS),
-                         indirect=['stdin'])
-def test_invalid_strings(am, code, expected):
-    assert am.safe_eval(code) == expected
-
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('code, expected, exception, stdin',
-                         ((c, e, ex, {}) for c, e, ex in INVALID_STRINGS),
-                         indirect=['stdin'])
-def test_invalid_strings_with_exceptions(am, code, expected, exception):
-    res = am.safe_eval(code, include_exceptions=True)
-    assert res[0] == expected
-    if exception is None:
-        assert res[1] == exception
-    else:
-        assert isinstance(res[1], exception)