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: no longer active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: gone out of use : superseded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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Panda haters often argue that the billions of dollars that are spent to prevent them from going extinct would be better allocated to saving more adaptable species. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025 But, interbreeding would change the human genome, which likely continued until Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025 Colossal aims to revive the woolly mammoth species, which mainly went extinct 10,000 years ago (though some populations remained until 4,000 years ago), by creating a woolly mammoth calf that an elephant mother will then give birth to. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025 The assessment, published in the scientific journal Nature, found that 24 percent of animals living in freshwater, such as ponds, streams, lakes, rivers and wetlands, are at high risk of going extinct. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for extinct 

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 1 Feb. 2025.

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: no longer active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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