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
While not considered an extinction-level threat, objects this size are still regarded as potentially hazardous on a regional scale.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Wolves were driven to local extinction in California in the 1920s.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Whitney Barlow Robles meditates on life, coral, and extinction.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Bison—survivors of ice ages and near extinction, to later become our national animal—wander freely at the whims of the matriarch cow bison that lead the cow-calf groups.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Wolves were driven to local extinction in California in the 1920s.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Whitney Barlow Robles meditates on life, coral, and extinction.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Bison—survivors of ice ages and near extinction, to later become our national animal—wander freely at the whims of the matriarch cow bison that lead the cow-calf groups.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinction. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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