extinction
ik-STINGK-shun
/ɪkˈstɪŋk.ʃən/
The permanent dying out or complete disappearance of a species or group of organisms.
Implies an absolute and irreversible end; once a biological species suffers total extinction, it cannot recur naturally.
The story behind the word. From Latin exstinguere, meaning 'to blow out or quench a fire'. Roman firefighters used it when smothering flames. By the seventeenth century, natural philosophers applied the image of a quenched candle flame to animal species whose evolutionary lines had been snuffed out forever.
Word relationships
- annihilation: Annihilation means total physical destruction of anything, whereas extinction specifically means the dying out of a biological lineage.
- survival: The state of continuing to live or exist despite hardship.
Commonly confused with
- extirpation: Extirpation is local extinction within a specific geographic region, while extinction means complete global eradication.
Word family
- extinct (adjective): No longer in existence.
- extinguish (verb): To wipe out or snuff out.
Collocations
- mass extinction
- driven to extinction
- extinction rate
- facing extinction
Idioms & expressions
- on the brink of extinction
Example sentences
- "A catastrophic asteroid collision triggered the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs sixty-six million years ago." Paleontology research
- "Unprecedented human activities are accelerating the natural rate of species extinction globally." Global environmental essay
Memory hook
EXTINCT flame = snuffed out forever. Light snuffed out forever.
When not to use
Do not use to describe temporary local disappearance; use 'extirpation' or 'local extinction' for regional losses.
Fun facts
- Earth has experienced five major mass extinction events in deep time, with scientists warning we are currently in the sixth.
Related words
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