extinction

noun

ex·​tinc·​tion ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən 

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

also : 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.

Synonyms

• annihilation
• decimation
• demolishment
• demolition
• desolation
• destruction
• devastation
• extermination
• havoc
• loss
• mincemeat
• obliteration
• ruin
• ruination
• wastage
• wreckage

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

At the current rate of ecosystem collapse, scientists predict 1.2 billion people will become climate refugees by 2050, while over a million species of plants and animals are on the brink of extinction. —Bill Weir, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024

McCarthy had taken over from founder John Foley and had worked to bring Peloton back from the brink of extinction by dramatically cutting costs and redirecting strategy. —Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024

The triggering scents included pangolin scales, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and African blackwood, all of which are smuggled and all of which are considered in danger of extinction. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2024

Tree species are facing extinction in 192 countries, the new report finds. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing extinction

• extinction coefficient
• mass extinction
• mass extinction event
• self-extinction

Kids Definition

extinction

noun

ex·​tinc·​tion ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən 

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 

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