evacuate

[ ih-vak-yoo-eyt ]

/ ɪˈvæk yuˌeɪt /

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See synonyms for: evacuate / evacuated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing.

to leave empty; vacate.

to remove (persons or things) from a place, as a dangerous place or disaster area, for reasons of safety or protection: to evacuate the inhabitants of towns in the path of a flood.

to remove persons from (a city, town, building, area, etc.) for reasons of safety: to evacuate the embassy after a bomb threat.

Military.

to remove (troops, wounded soldiers, civilians, etc.) from a war zone, combat area, etc.
to withdraw from or quit (a town, fort, etc., that has been occupied).

Physiology. to discharge or eject as through the excretory passages, especially from the bowels.

to deprive: Fear evacuated their minds of reason.

to produce a vacuum in.

verb (used without object), e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing.

to leave a place because of military or other threats.

to void; defecate.

OTHER WORDS FOR evacuate

1 empty, void, drain.

See synonyms for evacuate on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of evacuate

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ēvacuātus “emptied out” (past participle of ēvacuāre, equivalent to ē- + vacuāre ); see origin at e-¹, vacuum, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM evacuate

re·e·vac·u·ate, verb, re·e·vac·u·at·ed, re·e·vac·u·at·ing.un·e·vac·u·at·ed, adjective

Words nearby evacuate

Euxine Sea, euxinia, EV, Eva, evacuant, evacuate, evacuation, evacuator, evacuee, evade, Evadne

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use evacuate in a sentence

Late last year, the city moved employees into the downtown high-rise, only to evacuate them a few weeks later after the building was declared a public nuisance.
Morning Report: The Deal Before the 101 Ash St. Deal|Voice of San Diego|August 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
So far, five people have died in the fires and more than 119,000 others have had to evacuate from their homes.
Photos of California’s fires reveal massive destruction across the state|Danielle Abril|August 21, 2020|Fortune
After the city evacuated the building, Faulconer initiated a forensic review and tapped three outside law firms to address different aspects of the overall project.
City’s Real Estate Assets Director Resigns Amid Scrutiny Over Ash Street Deal|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|August 4, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The city responded by voluntarily shutting down the building and evacuating employees who had already moved in.
City Botched High-Rise Deal from Acquisition to Renovation, Investigation Finds|Jesse Marx and Lisa Halverstadt|July 30, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Most critically, the county identified that one of the project’s two routes, West Lilac Road, presents an entrapment risk in the event people need to evacuate for a wildfire.
The Burning Question Surrounding the Latest Version of Lilac Hills Ranch|Maya Srikrishnan|June 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
But where do you evacuate to, when the world is about to end?
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece|John le Carré|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
De Merode was ordered to evacuate the national park he served at the time.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was helping to evacuate people from the stricken North Tower when the second plane hit.
The President and the Tow Truck Driver|Michael Daly|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is no plan as of yet to evacuate Dr. Brantly to a Western facility, Isaacs said.
Two Americans Have Now Been Diagnosed With Ebola in Record Outbreak|Kent Sepkowitz|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Earlier this month, the friendliest of them, 31-year-old Denis, told us they were given very short notice to evacuate Sloviansk.
I Was Snatched at the MH17 ‘Morgue’|Anna Nemtsova|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The leaguers were now anxious to co-operate with the Americans in compelling the Spaniards to evacuate the Archipelago.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The commander-in-chief overrated the fighting qualities of the Neapolitan troops and thought it prudent to evacuate Rome.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The situation was hopeless; the only wise course was to evacuate all garrisons in Germany and retire on the Saale.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Consequently, he had his lighter baggage moved and had his troops evacuate the area.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
At the same time also Ibrahim Pacha was directed by his father to evacuate Syria.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan

British Dictionary definitions for evacuate

evacuate

/ (ɪˈvækjʊˌeɪt) /

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr) to withdraw or cause to withdraw from (a place of danger) to a place of greater safety

to make empty by removing the contents of

(also intr) physiol

to eliminate or excrete (faeces); defecate
to discharge (any waste product) from (a part of the body)

(tr) to create a vacuum in (a bulb, flask, reaction vessel, etc)

Derived forms of evacuate

evacuation, nounevacuative, adjectiveevacuator, noun

Word Origin for evacuate

C16: from Latin ēvacuāre to void, from vacuus empty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

evacuate

OTHER WORDS FOR evacuate

Origin of evacuate

OTHER WORDS FROM evacuate

Words nearby evacuate

Words related to evacuate

How to use evacuate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for evacuate

Derived forms of evacuate

Word Origin for evacuate