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
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
Benjamin Plackett 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.
Rita L. Atkinson et al.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
Probably the most familiar are humpback and blue whales, which were driven to the brink of extinction not so long ago by commercial whaling, but are making a comeback after an international moratorium was enacted on whaling.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The Gardens That Save Species (Yale Environment 360) by Janet Marinelli
With many plant species at risk of extinction, botanic garden collections scattered around the world offer hope of survival.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2025
Once the men triumphed, all that was other from them was considered inferior and therefore worthy only of abuse and contempt and extinction.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
Pushed to the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and human persecution, the Florida panther is federally listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
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Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The Gardens That Save Species (Yale Environment 360) by Janet Marinelli
With many plant species at risk of extinction, botanic garden collections scattered around the world offer hope of survival.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2025
Once the men triumphed, all that was other from them was considered inferior and therefore worthy only of abuse and contempt and extinction.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
Pushed to the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and human persecution, the Florida panther is federally listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinction. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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