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
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.
Evacuation orders are in effect for an area north of Highway 74, south of Ethanac Road and east of El Toro Road, while an evacuation warning is in effect in adjacent areas.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Evacuation modeling can estimate how long it takes to get out, even taking into account the complexities of a real fire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
Evacuation was "very difficult", Emma and Albane said, because the escape route out of the room they were in was "narrow" and the stairs leading outside were "even narrower".
From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026
Evacuation orders were issued as debris swept across roads and into neighborhoods, forcing emergency crews into constant response mode.
From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025
Adams and two of the other nurses were assigned to the 12th Evacuation Hospital at Cu Chi and shipped out on the same cargo plane as Denny.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
