extinction
noun
ex·tinc·tion
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən 
plural extinctions
1
a
: the act of making extinct or causing to be extinguished
gradual extinction of the national debt
b
: the condition or fact of being extinct
also
: the process of becoming extinct
attempting to save a species from extinction
… at least 17 species of the island's largest mammals, birds, and reptiles were lost in a wave of extinctions that occurred about 1,000 years ago. —
Pamela S. Cubberly
Pamela S. Cubberly Now, more than 40 percent of the world's 7,000 or so languages are thought to be at risk of extinction, some with just a handful of elderly native speakers left. —Benjamin Plackett
see also mass extinction
Benjamin Plackett 2
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned (see conditioned sense 2) response by not reinforcing it
When a rat in a Skinner box presses a lever, a tone sounds momentarily, followed shortly by delivery of food. … After the animal has been conditioned in this way, the experimenter begins extinction, so that when the rat presses the lever neither the tone nor the food appears.—Rita L. Atkinson et al.
Rita L. Atkinson et al.Examples of extinction in a Sentence
the extinction of all life in the region
the extinction of many old traditions
Mass extinctions of prehistoric animals are known to have occurred.
Recent Examples on the Web
In comparison with background levels of extinction, all of our sources said that current extinction rates are much higher.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 29 May 2025
The researchers’ hauls add to a growing body of evidence from Maine to Florida that Atlantic sturgeon are slowly staging a comeback since overfishing brought them to the edge of extinction in the U.S. during the 20th century.
—Benjamin Cassidy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
With fewer than twenty red wolves remaining in the wild, this technology could help preserve genetic diversity for a species on the brink of extinction.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Shark populations are still declining, with three-quarters (75%) of sharks and rays now qualify as threatened with extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
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Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 29 May 2025
The researchers’ hauls add to a growing body of evidence from Maine to Florida that Atlantic sturgeon are slowly staging a comeback since overfishing brought them to the edge of extinction in the U.S. during the 20th century.
—Benjamin Cassidy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
With fewer than twenty red wolves remaining in the wild, this technology could help preserve genetic diversity for a species on the brink of extinction.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Shark populations are still declining, with three-quarters (75%) of sharks and rays now qualify as threatened with extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinction. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
extinction
noun
ex·tinc·tion
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən
1
: an act of extinguishing or an instance of being extinguished
2
a
: the state of being extinct
b
: the process of becoming extinct
3
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned response by not providing the stimulus with which it has become associated by conditioning
Medical Definition
extinction
noun
ex·tinc·tion
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən
1
: the process of becoming extinct
the extinction of a species
also
: the condition or fact of being extinct
2
: the process of eliminating or reducing a conditioned response by not reinforcing it
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