extract

American  

[ik-strakt, ek-strakt, ek-strakt] / ɪkˈstrækt, ˈɛk strækt, ˈɛk strækt /

verb (used with object)

extracts, present (3rd person singular) extracted, past participle, past extracting present participle

1. to get, pull, or draw out, usually with special effort, skill, or force.

   to extract a tooth.

2. to deduce (a doctrine, principle, interpretation, etc.).

   He extracted a completely personal meaning from what was said.

3. to derive or obtain (pleasure, comfort, etc.) from a particular source.

   He extracted satisfaction from the success of his sons.

4. to take or copy out (matter), as from a book.

5. to make excerpts from (a book, pamphlet, etc.).

6. to extort (information, money, etc.).

   to extract a secret from someone.

   Synonyms:

   elicit, educe, evoke

7. to separate or obtain (a juice, ingredient, etc.) from a mixture by pressure, distillation, treatment with solvents, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   distill, withdraw

8. Mathematics.

   1. to determine (the root of a quantity that has a single root).

   2. to determine (a root of a quantity that has multiple roots).

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noun

1. something extracted.

2. a passage taken from a book, article, etc.; excerpt; quotation.

   Synonyms:

   selection, citation

3. a solution or preparation containing the active principles of a drug, plant juice, or the like; concentrated solution.

   vanilla extract.

   Synonyms:

   distillation, decoction

4. a solid, viscid, or liquid substance extracted from a plant, drug, or the like, containing its essence in concentrated form.

   beef extract.

extract British  

verb

1. to withdraw, pull out, or uproot by force

2. to remove or separate

3. to derive (pleasure, information, etc) from some source or situation

4. to deduce or develop (a doctrine, policy, etc)

5. informal to extort (money, etc)

6. to obtain (a substance) from a mixture or material by a chemical or physical process, such as digestion, distillation, the action of a solvent, or mechanical separation

7. to cut out or copy out (an article, passage, quotation, etc) from a publication

8. to determine the value of (the root of a number)

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noun

1. something extracted, such as a part or passage from a book, speech, etc

2. a preparation containing the active principle or concentrated essence of a material

   beef extract

   yeast extract

3. pharmacol a solution of plant or animal tissue containing the active principle

Usage

Extract is sometimes wrongly used where extricate would be better: he will find it difficult extricating (not extracting ) himself from this situation

Synonym Usage

Extract, exact, extort, wrest imply using force to remove something. To extract is to draw forth something as by pulling, importuning, or the like: to extract a confession by torture. To exact is to impose a penalty, or to obtain by force or authority, something to which one lays claim: to exact payment. To extort is to wring something by intimidation or threats from an unwilling person: to extort money by threats of blackmail. To wrest is to take by force or violence in spite of active resistance: The courageous minority wrested power from their oppressors.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overextract
  verb (used with object)
• extractability
  noun
• extractable
  adjective
• extractibility
  noun
• extractible
  adjective
• preextract
  verb (used with object)
• unextractable
  adjective
• nonextractible
  adjective
• nonextractable
  adjective
• nonextracted
  adjective
• unextracted
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have extracted
  perfect
• has extracted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am extracting
  progressive 1st person singular
• are extracting
  progressive
• has been extracting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• extracts
  singular 3rd person
• extracting
  participle
• have been extracting
  perfect progressive
• is extracting
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had extracted
  perfect
• was extracting
  progressive singular
• had been extracting
  perfect progressive
• were extracting
  progressive plural
• extracted
  simple
• extracted
  participle

Future

• will extract
  simple
• will have extracted
  perfect
• will be extracting
  progressive
• will have been extracting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of extract

First recorded in 1475–1500; from Latin extractus (past participle of extrahere ). See ex- ¹, tract ¹

Explanation

When you extract something, you remove it from a larger whole. You can extract a passage from a book, or a liquid essence from a vanilla bean—vanilla extract. Ex- means out of, and when you extract, you draw something out of something else. When listening to a complicated and long-winded story, it can be difficult to extract the truly meaningful details.

Example Sentences

Francisco attempts to extract some gold from the ground alongside his wife and daughter, unsure of how else he will pay for transport out of the area.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

If these sequels prove anything, it’s that “Cars” was never about the insights it could provide the audience, but rather, the money it could extract from their wallets.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Bomb technicians from the FBI and Sheriff’s Department worked together to extract it from the bag, place a bomb blast suppression device on top and remove it from the airport.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

The company and its affiliates have sued at least 19 patient families and employers in an effort to extract payments since late 2024, according to court records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

We may extract from them information about human anatomy, human technology, human diet, and perhaps even human social structure.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• cull
• derive
• distill
• elicit
• exact
• extort
• extricate
• glean
• obtain
• pluck
• pry
• pull
• reap
• separate
• siphon
• squeeze
• withdraw
• wrest
• wring