extinct

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: no longer burning
b
: no longer active
an extinct volcano
2
: no longer existing
an extinct animal
3
a
: gone out of use : superseded
b
: having no qualified claimant
an extinct title

extinct

2 of 2

verb

extincted; extincting; extincts

Examples of extinct in a Sentence

Adjective Many of these old traditions have since become extinct. a few overgrown ruins are all that remain of that once mighty but now extinct civilization
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Resurrecting the extinct species has been a pet project of Harvard University geneticist George Church for more than a decade. Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Colossal has been working to bring the mammoth, the dodo bird and other extinct species back to life using the latest cloning and genetic engineering techniques. Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Morse code is not quite extinct: The U.S. Navy still teaches it to a few sailors, and in 2017, a British man who had broken his leg on a beach used it to signal for help in the dark with a flashlight. Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024 The ferrets were believed to be completely extinct in the 1970s until a farm dog named Shep made a discovery in 1981. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 It’s been interesting to watch how this movement has helped some of these industries avoid going extinct. Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2024 The species was feared extinct, but, over 60 years later, the team had rediscovered these thumbnail-sized animals. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 At this rate, both types could go extinct in six months. David Axe, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 New Caledonian crested geckos, believed extinct until 1994 and jeopardized today by wildfires and invasive predators, became well established in captivity. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Of the native species found in Illinois, the majority fall into a range from threatened to extinct, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020 The species had gone from extraordinarily populous to extinct in a human life span. David Biello, Scientific American, 27 June 2014 Many experts worry that if this pattern continues, the disease will eventually drive the species from endangered to extinct. Jason Bittel, Animals, 10 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extinct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin exstinctus, past participle of exstinguere

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extinct was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near extinct

Cite this Entry

“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinct. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

extinct

adjective
ex·​tinct
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t,
ˈek-ˌ
1
: no longer active
an extinct volcano
2
: no longer existing
an extinct species of animal

Medical Definition

extinct

adjective
: no longer existing : lacking living representatives
extinct prehistoric animals

More from Merriam-Webster on extinct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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