extinction

B1 Topic:Biology & Genetics

US /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #11044

Meanings

1

noun
The situation in which a species or group no longer exists.

Many scientists believe a meteor caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
2

noun
The complete destruction or ending of something.

Pollution threatens many animals with extinction.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the situation in which a... extermination

2 noun · the complete destruction or... defunctness

Word family

Forms extinctions

Derived forms coextinctionde-extinctionextinctionismextinctionisthemiextinctionnonextinctionpseudoextinctionsemiextinction

Related forms extinct extinguish

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mass extinction
the disappearance of a very large number of species over a relatively short geological period

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish.

extinctio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Biology & Genetics Animals

External links

# extinction

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 11044

## Meanings
1. The situation in which a species or group no longer exists.
2. The complete destruction or ending of something.

## Examples
- Many scientists believe a meteor caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
- Pollution threatens many animals with extinction.

## Derived Forms
- coextinction
- de-extinction
- extinctionism
- extinctionist
- hemiextinction
- nonextinction
- pseudoextinction
- semiextinction

## Related Forms
- extinct
- extinguish

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: extinctio

## Etymology
From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish.

## AI Etymology
Extinction comes from late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish. In current use, the main senses are “The situation in which a species or group no longer exists” and “The complete destruction or ending of something”.

## Topics
- Biology & Genetics
- Animals

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