possibly extinct

American  

[pos-uh-blee ik-stingkt] / ˈpɒs ə bli ɪkˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

Biology, Ecology.

1. (as categorized by theIUCN Red List ) critically endangered to such an extent that evidence of its existence is profoundly limited and extremely difficult to verify: PE

   We can hope to find survivors among a possibly extinct species, but sadly we know how unlikely that is.

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Etymology

Origin of possibly extinct

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

Scientists have confirmed the rediscovery of Moema claudiae, a rare seasonal killifish species in Bolivia that had been considered possibly extinct.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

Waesche, meanwhile, though dormant and possibly extinct, may offer an answer to the most pressing question in Antarctic volcanology: With ice melting ever more quickly, will the volcanoes grow more active?

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

Two years later, Mr. Thayer mounted an elephant as part of an expedition to seek a possibly extinct Southeast Asian bovine called a kouprey.

From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2023

Add in the number of possibly extinct species and the tally comes to 573.

From Reuters • Dec. 23, 2022

With the discovery of new specimens on Kauai, it’s no longer considered possibly extinct, the Hilo newspaper reported.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2021