extinction

noun

ex·​tinc·​tion ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən How to pronounce extinction (audio)
plural extinctions
1
a
: the act of making extinct or causing to be extinguished
gradual extinction of the national debt
b
: the condition or fact of being extinct
or : the process of becoming extinct
attempting to save a species from extinction
… at least 17 species of the island's largest mammals, birds, and reptiles were lost in a wave of extinctions that occurred about 1,000 years ago. Pamela S. Cubberly
Now, more than 40 percent of the world's 7,000 or so languages are thought to be at risk of extinction, some with just a handful of elderly native speakers left. Benjamin Plackett
see also mass extinction
2
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned (see conditioned sense 2) response by not reinforcing it
When a rat in a Skinner box presses a lever, a tone sounds momentarily, followed shortly by delivery of food. … After the animal has been conditioned in this way, the experimenter begins extinction, so that when the rat presses the lever neither the tone nor the food appears.Rita L. Atkinson et al.

Examples of extinction in a Sentence

the extinction of all life in the region the extinction of many old traditions Mass extinctions of prehistoric animals are known to have occurred.
Recent Examples on the Web Climate change is driving many amphibians toward extinction The majority of frog legs sold to the E.U., with France the biggest consumer, are collected from the wild, according to a report published last year by the CITES secretariat. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, France’s favorite Camembert cheese may be facing an extinction crisis. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 The anthropologist is best remembered for importing reindeer to the Scottish Highlands, centuries after they were hunted to extinction. Rachel Felder, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Irena’s subject is the current, or sixth, extinction—the first to be precipitated by humans, due to our hubristic disregard for the network. Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 In 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the continent’s emperor penguins are threatened with extinction due to climate change. Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Once on the brink of extinction, elephant seals are expanding north into new breeding grounds along the California coast, turning long-empty beaches into a ruckus of roars, grunts, chirps and moans. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 In the years that followed, China continued lending the animals to U.S. zoos to help encourage reproduction and save giant pandas from extinction. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 Humans have altered the Earth so much that migratory animals are facing extinction Warmth reaches the East Coast by Wednesday. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near extinction

Cite this Entry

“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinction. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

extinction

noun
ex·​tinc·​tion ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən How to pronounce extinction (audio)
1
: an act of extinguishing or an instance of being extinguished
2
a
: the state of being extinct
b
: the process of becoming extinct
3
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned response by not providing the stimulus with which it has become associated by conditioning

Medical Definition

extinction

noun
ex·​tinc·​tion ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən How to pronounce extinction (audio)
1
: the process of becoming extinct
the extinction of a species
also : the condition or fact of being extinct
2
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned response by not reinforcing it

More from Merriam-Webster on extinction

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