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extinct

[ ik-stingkt ]
/ ɪkˈstɪŋkt /
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adjective
no longer in existence; having ended or died out: extinct pre-Colombian societies.
Biology, Ecology. (of a plant or animal species) having no living member remaining anywhere, not in the wild, in a naturalized population, nor in captivity, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: a list of extinct animals that once inhabited the Isle of Man.Abbreviation: EX
no longer in use; obsolete: an extinct custom.
extinguished; quenched; not burning: evidence of a half dozen extinct campfires.
Geology. (of a volcano) not having erupted for at least 10,000 years and not expected to erupt again.Compare active (def. 10), dormant (def. 6).

OTHER WORDS FOR extinct

1 defunct, gone, vanished.
4 out.
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Origin of extinct

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ex(s)tinctus, past participle of ex(s)tinguere; see origin at extinguish

synonym study for extinct

1. See dead.

OTHER WORDS FROM extinct

non·ex·tinct, adjectiveun·ex·tinct, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH extinct

extinct , rare, scarce
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use extinct in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for extinct

extinct
/ (ɪkˈstɪŋkt) /

adjective
(of an animal or plant species) having no living representative; having died out
quenched or extinguished
(of a volcano) no longer liable to erupt; inactive
void or obsoletean extinct political office

Word Origin for extinct

C15: from Latin exstinctus quenched, from exstinguere to extinguish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for extinct

extinct
[ ĭk-stĭngkt′ ]

Having no living members. Species become extinct for many reasons, including climate change, disease, destruction of habitat, local or worldwide natural disasters, and development into new species (speciation). The great majority of species that have ever lived-probably more than 99 percent-are now extinct.
No longer active or burning, as an extinct volcano.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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