extinct

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​tinct ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t  ˈek-ˌstiŋ(k)t 

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: no longer active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: gone out of use : superseded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

transitive verb

archaic

: extinguish

Synonyms

Adjective

• bygone
• bypast
• dead
• defunct
• departed
• done
• expired
• gone
• nonextant
• vanished

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

According to Britannica, monk seals all over the world have been hunted extensively for fur, oil, and meat, and while some species are critically endangered, others, like the Carribean monk seals, have completely gone extinct. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025

According to the team, this could be a big leap towards preventing other marsupials from going extinct. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025

After a dinosaur-killing asteroid struck the Earth near the Yucatán Peninsula in present day Mexico about 66 million years ago, about 75 percent of species on Earth eventually went extinct. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2025

Sometimes books go extinct because of the short shelf life of papyrus. —Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

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

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: no longer active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

ex·​tinct ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t  ˈek-ˌ 

: no longer existing : lacking living representatives

extinct prehistoric animals