extirpate

verb

ex·​tir·​pate ˈek-stər-ˌpāt 

extirpated; extirpating

transitive verb

1

a

: to destroy completely : wipe out

b

: to pull up by the root

2

: to cut out by surgery

extirpation

ˌek-stər-ˈpā-shən 

noun

extirpator

ˈek-stər-ˌpā-tər 

noun

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Dig Out the History of Extirpate

You don’t have to dig too deep into the history of extirpate to discover that its roots are in, well, roots (and stumps). Extirpate grew out of a combining of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning “out,” and the Latin noun stirps, “trunk” or “root.” Among the earliest definitions of extirpate in English were “to uproot” and “to clear of stumps,” as well as the broader meaning of “to destroy completely” or “wipe out.” While today we often encounter extirpate in relation to plant and animal species that have been regrettably removed from a specific region or in total, intangibles such as evil or prejudice, for example, may also be extirpated. We hope this helps but if you find yourself stumped the next time you encounter extirpate, just remember we’re rooting for you.

Synonyms

• abolish
• annihilate
• black out
• blot out
• cancel
• clean (up)
• efface
• eradicate
• erase
• expunge
• exterminate
• liquidate
• obliterate
• root (out)
• rub out
• snuff (out)
• stamp (out)
• sweep (away)
• wipe out

Choose the Right Synonym for extirpate

exterminate, extirpate, eradicate, uproot mean to effect the destruction or abolition of something.

exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Examples of extirpate in a Sentence

the triumph of modern medicine in extirpating certain diseases

Recent Examples on the Web

The way to extirpate this bias is by realizing that the concept of death is not an all-or-nothing matter, but rather a spectrum—something that comes in degrees. —Susana Monsó, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

It’s believed the owl with bright yellow eyes has been extirpated from 16% of its range in parts of the coast and Central Valley. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024

Hunted heavily across Polynesia for their dazzling feathers, the lorikeets were extirpated from nearly all of their native islands by 1900, with Rimatara standing as one final bastion for the birds. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024

They were largely extirpated from Colorado by 1919 (and from the rest of the West by the 1930s) and were added to the state’s endangered species list in 1973. —Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 30 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin exstirpatus, past participle of exstirpare, from ex- + stirp-, stirps trunk, root

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

extirpate

verb

ex·​tir·​pate ˈek-stər-ˌpāt 

extirpated; extirpating

1

: to pull up by the roots

2

: to destroy completely

extirpation

ˌek-(ˌ)stər-ˈpā-shən 

noun