noun

extinction

ik-STINK-shuhn/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃn/

The complete end of something's existence.

Habitat loss pushes many animal species toward extinction every year.

Last animal silhouette fades beside empty habitat, extinction symbolism.

Etymology

exLatinout

+tinctLatinto quench

+ionLatinaction or process

Quenching a fire supplied the image for wiping something out altogether. This action noun broadened from putting out fires and lights to complete disappearance, including the loss of a species.

In context

Gustavus Adolphus College30:41

It's too late to worry when a species is on the brink of extinction because species cease to function in the ecosystem long before the last individual dies out.

Nobel Conference 59 - Lecture by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, PhD

More examples

Only a few elders speak the language, which faces extinction.
Small farms in this region are on the brink of extinction.
Scientists study past extinctions to understand why entire species disappear.

Forms

extinction · extinctions

extinct adjective — No longer existing in the world.

Similar words

disappearance: Can mean becoming unseen rather than ceasing to exist.
annihilation: Emphasizes complete destruction, often through force or violence.
elimination: Emphasizes removing something, not necessarily ending its existence.