evacuation
ih-vak-yoo-AY-shun
/ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃən/
The systematic removal of persons or assets from a zone of danger to a place of safety.
Refers to organized, urgent relocation due to active or imminent hazard.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'vacuus' (empty, source of 'vacant' and 'vacuum'). An evacuation originally meant literally 'emptying out' a space of its contents or people so that nothing remained inside.
Word relationships
- withdrawal: Withdrawal implies retreat of military forces or personal stepping back; evacuation emphasizes safety relocation of people.
- clearance: Clearance emphasizes removing objects or authorization, whereas evacuation centers on human safety.
- occupation: Entering and staying inside a place.
- deployment: Moving troops or equipment into a target operational zone.
Commonly confused with
- extrication: Extrication is un-trapping someone from a physical snare; evacuation is moving them away from the danger zone.
Word family
- evacuate (verb): To remove people from a place of danger to safety.
- evacuee (noun): A person removed from a dangerous place.
Collocations
- medical evacuation
- order an evacuation
- evacuation route
- evacuation plan
Example sentences
- "High winds delayed the medical evacuation helicopter, forcing rescuers to transport the victim on foot." Emergency transport
- "The government ordered an immediate evacuation of all alpine villages below the destabilized glacier." Civil protection
Memory hook
EVACUATE leaves an EVACUATED VACUUM (empty space). Systematic removal from danger.
When not to use
Do not use for casual moving or routine departures where no threat exists.
Fun facts
- In military emergency jargon, 'medevac' is a portmanteau for medical evacuation.
Related words
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