excavation

American  

[eks-kuh-vey-shuhn] / ˌɛks kəˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a hole or cavity made by excavating.

2. the act of excavating.

3. an area in which excavating has been done or is in progress, as an archaeological site.

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Related Words

See hole.

Other Word Forms

• excavational adjective
• nonexcavation noun
• reexcavation noun

Etymology

Origin of excavation

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin excavātiōn- (stem of excavātiō ) “a hollowing.” See excavate, -ion

Explanation

Excavation is the act or process of digging, especially when something specific is being removed from the ground. Archaeologists use excavation to find artifacts and fossils. There are many types of excavation, but they all involve digging holes in the earth. Mining for coal, gold, or diamonds all require excavation, and before buildings and houses can be built, there is often some excavation that's done before a foundation can be poured. The Latin source of excavation is excavationem, "a hollowing out," from excavare, "to hollow out," with its roots of ex-, "out," and cavare, "to hollow."

Example Sentences

Guests can still observe active excavation during the two-year museum closure — albeit from different vantage points — as researchers continue their work on site.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Because the true scale of the debris remained hidden underground, the price was nearly impossible to forecast until excavation revealed what was underneath, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The discovery might have been missed if not for careful attention during excavation.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

It is more an excavation of the radical man’s life than an account of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

For historians, anthropologists, and marine archaeologists, the most important use of side-scan sonar is in the location and excavation of shipwrecks.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• dig
• mining
• removal