in extremis

[ in eks-tre-mees; English in ik-stree-mis ]

/ ɪn ɛksˈtrɛ mis; English ɪn ɪkˈstri mɪs /

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adverb Latin.

in extremity.

near death.

QUIZ

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If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

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Words nearby in extremis

inexpungible, inextensible, in extenso, inextinguishable, inextirpable, in extremis, inextricable, inextricably, Inez, inf, in fact

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use in extremis in a sentence

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lack of a gun is not likely to be a major problem for close-in air-to-air dogfights against other jets.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But those weapons are of limited utility, especially during close-in fights.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The commander-in-chief still kept him attached to the headquarter staff, and constantly employed him on special service.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Their jurisdictions overlapped and the Gascon would play second fiddle to no one save to his great brother-in-law.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
But the novel disappeared under the clothes with amazing celerity as the voice of her sister-in-law demanded admission.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for in extremis

in extremis

/ Latin (ɪn ɪkˈstriːmɪs) /

adverb

in extremity; in dire straits

at the point of death

Word Origin for in extremis

literally: in the furthest reaches

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

Medical definitions for in extremis

in extremis

[ ĭn ĕk-strē′mĭs ]

adv.

At the point of death.

in extremis

Words nearby in extremis

Words related to in extremis

How to use in extremis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for in extremis

Word Origin for in extremis

Medical definitions for in extremis