evacuation

[ih-vak-yoo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of evacuating, or the condition of being evacuated; discharge or expulsion, as of contents.

2. Physiology.,  discharge, as of waste matter through the excretory passages, especially from the bowels.

3. something evacuated or discharged.

4. the removal of persons or things from an endangered area.

5. clearance by removal of troops, equipment, etc.

6. the withdrawal or removal of troops, civilians, etc.

Other Word Forms

• evacuative adjective
• nonevacuation noun
• reevacuation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of evacuation¹

1350–1400; Middle English evacuacioun < Late Latin ēvacuātion- (stem of ēvacuātiō ). See evacuate, -ion

Example Sentences

“There’s nothing in the after-action report that would stop this from happening again — nothing,” he said, noting that the report evaluated evacuation and communication problems during the Palisades fire.

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The city's fire department has raised concerns over evacuation routes, among other safety issues.

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It marks a reversal of the original policy which only supported the evacuation of the students themselves.

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Troops joined the evacuation effort, lifting the elderly into trucks and guiding families toward shelters.

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Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by the government for at least seven areas in the southeast classified as high risk - with airports and schools across the country shuttered.

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Related Words

• departure 
• exodus 
• removal 
• retreat