evacuation
Americannoun
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the act or process of evacuating, or the condition of being evacuated; discharge or expulsion, as of contents.
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Physiology. discharge, as of waste matter through the excretory passages, especially from the bowels.
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something evacuated or discharged.
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the removal of persons or things from an endangered area.
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clearance by removal of troops, equipment, etc.
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the withdrawal or removal of troops, civilians, etc.
Other Word Forms
- evacuative adjective
- nonevacuation noun
- reevacuation noun
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."
Vocabulary lists containing evacuation
Salt to the Sea
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CTE Construction ("Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills,") Vocabulary from Module One
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Flight attendants ordered an evacuation with a terse directive: Grab your passports and boarding passes, leave all luggage, get out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The Springs fire in Riverside County, which prompted evacuation orders, was 95% contained Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire, and all evacuations had been lifted.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The head of Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said on Saturday that the evacuation of 198 people remaining in the plant had started that morning.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
A building was destroyed on Tuesday in Ghobeiry on the road to the airport following an evacuation order.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
The German High Command had quickly organized a massive water evacuation.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
