excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
Synonyms of excavationnext
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping
excavational adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Once excavations were complete, a total of around 8,000 unique life-like models would be revealed to the world for the first time in over 2,200 years. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025 During the excavation, a team led by the British Museum found flint hand axes, a patch of baked clay and fragments of iron pyrite. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025 Like DeLillo, Annie Dillard describes writing as something sculptural, a process of excavation. Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025 The active construction site described in the new study was first investigated in the late 1880s, but excavations were halted and did not begin again until 2023. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excavation

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavation was circa 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excavation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavation. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the act or process of excavating
2
: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!