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
Derived Forms
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.
A brush fire ignited inside Camp Pendleton on Wednesday morning, threatening structures and prompting an evacuation order for the base’s golf course and evacuation warnings in nearby areas of Oceanside, authorities said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami warnings, advising the evacuation of some coastal areas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Five of the seven crew were directed to go into the docked SpaceX shuttle Dragon "Freedom" on Friday afternoon and were braced for a potential evacuation.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Five astronauts had briefly entered the docked Dragon spacecraft as a precautionary measure -- the capsule functions as a lifeboat of sorts in the case an evacuation is needed.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
From an early age, children in Tohoku are taught an evacuation strategy called tendenko.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
