Definitions for extinction
ɪkˈstɪŋk ʃənex·tinc·tion

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. extinctionnoun

   no longer active; extinguished

   "the extinction of the volcano"

2. extinction, defunctnessnoun

   no longer in existence

   "the extinction of a species"

3. extinctionnoun

   the reduction of the intensity of radiation as a consequence of absorption and radiation

4. extinction, exterminationnoun

   complete annihilation

   "they think a meteor cause the extinction of the dinosaurs"

5. extinction, experimental extinctionnoun

   a conditioning process in which the reinforcer is removed and a conditioned response becomes independent of the conditioned stimulus

6. extinction, extinguishing, quenchingnoun

   the act of extinguishing; causing to stop burning

   "the extinction of the lights"

GCIDERate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Extinctionnoun

   Specifically: The ceasing to exist of a species of living organism, such as a plant or animal, whose numbers declined to the point where the last member of the species died and therefore no new members of the species could ever again be born.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. extinctionnoun

   The action of making or becoming extinct; annihilation.

2. extinctionnoun

   The absorption or scattering of electromagnetic radiation emitted by astronomical objects by intervening dust and gas before it reaches the observer.

3. Etymology: From extinction, from extinctio, from extinguere, past participle extinctus; see extinguish.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Extinctionnoun

   Etymology: extinctio, Latin.

   1. The act of quenching or extinguishing.

   Red-hot needles or wires, extinguished in quicksilver, do yet acquire a verticity according to the laws of position and extinction. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. ii. c. 2.

   2. The state of being quenched.

   The parts are consumed through extinction of their native heat, and dissipation of their radical moisture. Gideon Harvey.

   3. Destruction; excision.

   The extinction of nations, and the desolation of kingdoms, were but the effects of this destructive evil. John Rogers, Sermons.

   4. Suppression.

   They lie in dead oblivion, losing half
   The fleeting moments of too short a life,
   Total extinction of th’ enlighten’d soul. James Thomson, Summer.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Extinction

   Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. Because a species' potential range may be very large, determining this moment is difficult, and is usually done retrospectively. This difficulty leads to phenomena such as Lazarus taxa, where a species presumed extinct abruptly "reappears" (typically in the fossil record) after a period of apparent absence. More than 99% of all species that ever lived on Earth, amounting to over five billion species, are estimated to have died out. It is estimated that there are currently around 8.7 million species of eukaryote globally, and possibly many times more if microorganisms, like bacteria, are included.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Extinctionnoun

   the act of extinguishing or making extinct; a putting an end to; the act of putting out or destroying light, fire, life, activity, influence, etc

2. Extinctionnoun

   state of being extinguished or of ceasing to be; destruction; suppression; as, the extinction of life, of a family, of a quarrel, of claim

3. Etymology: [L. extinctio, exstinction: cf. F. extinction.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Extinction

   In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms, normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. Because a species' potential range may be very large, determining this moment is difficult, and is usually done retrospectively. This difficulty leads to phenomena such as Lazarus taxa, where a species presumed extinct abruptly "re-appears" after a period of apparent absence. Through evolution, new species arise through the process of speciation—where new varieties of organisms arise and thrive when they are able to find and exploit an ecological niche—and species become extinct when they are no longer able to survive in changing conditions or against superior competition. The relationship between animals and their ecological niches has been firmly established. A typical species becomes extinct within 10 million years of its first appearance, although some species, called living fossils, survive with virtually no morphological change for hundreds of millions of years. Most extinctions have occurred naturally, prior to Homo sapiens walking on Earth: it is estimated that 99.9% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct.

Matched Categories

1. • Conditioning
   • Death
   • Inaction
   • Natural Process
   • Termination

How to pronounce extinction?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say extinction in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of extinction in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of extinction in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of extinction in a Sentence

1. Liseth Alfonso:

   Many are close to extinction, it helps us remember we are taking care of these animals.

2. Adeline Chan:

   It was a big challenge initially, getting customers to accept our shark fin policy, we accepted that it would mean a substantial cut for our banqueting business. We initiated the policy because it was the right thing to do. We recognized that as a species, sharks are threatened with extinction, and if this happens, it would put the health of our oceans and fisheries at risk.

3. Ellie Chowns:

   The judgment in our favor shows that the police clearly overstepped the mark when they imposed a blanket ban on any XR (Extinction Rebellion) related protest.

4. Andrew Pask:

   The technologies we are developing to de-extinct the thylacine all have immediate conservation benefits -- right now -- to protect marsupial species. Biobanks of frozen tissue from living marsupial populations have been collected to protect against extinction from fires, however, we still lack the technology to take that tissue -- create marsupial stem cells -- and then turn those cells into a living animal. That is the technology we will develop as a part of this project.

5. Jeremy Douglas:

   Wildlife and timber trafficking is also an emergency, extinction is on the horizon.

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