evacuation

American  

[ih-vak-yoo-ey-shuhn] / ɪˌvæk juˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

evacuations plural

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonevacuation
  noun
• reevacuation
  noun
• evacuative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• evacuations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of evacuation

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

Explanation

An evacuation happens when people are removed from or leave a dangerous place. An approaching hurricane sometimes results in the evacuation of islands and coastal towns. A fire drill or bomb threat can cause the evacuation of a school building, and during World War II there were frequent evacuations of buildings and areas of cities including London, when people hurried into shelters. Another meaning of evacuation is the emptying of something, whether a container or a human body. This relates to the word's original meaning, "discharge of blood from the body," from the Latin evacuare, "to empty."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

evacuation evacuations

Emma challenged an earlier statement by local authorities that some of those killed had not taken a designated evacuation route.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Sanz said references to 23 missing people were misleading, explaining that the figure referred to people whose relatives had been unable to contact them and who could have reached evacuation centres or other safe locations.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Officials in Bedar said some of those who had died had not taken a recommended evacuation route - but it's not clear how well that guidance was conveyed.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

That could matter in California, where battery opposition has surged after a fire at a Moss Landing energy storage facility drove the evacuation of 1,200 residents and contaminated nearby wetlands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

It was like pushing a button in me—the kind of big blinking red button you might find in some sort of nuclear facility surrounded by warning signs and evacuation maps.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Local officials have said previously they did not issue an alert on Thursday night because it may have reached people beyond the affected area and could have complicated evacuations.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

New York City’s Department of Investigation says it has launched an inquiry into a Manhattan high-rise where two supporting columns buckled this week, prompting evacuations and a scramble to stabilize the office building.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Comprehensive policies typically include coverage for trip interruptions, trip cancellations, lost or delayed baggage, medical emergencies and emergency evacuations.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

A brush fire in the foothills west of Murrieta in Riverside County grew to more than 100 acres and forced evacuations Tuesday before firefighters began to contain the blaze.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The parking lot there had become a staging ground for evacuations.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

• departure
• exodus
• removal
• retreat