extinct

[ ik-stingkt ]

adjective

1. no longer in existence; having ended or died out:

   extinct pre-Colombian societies.

2. Biology, Ecology. (of a plant or animal species) having no living member remaining anywhere, not in the wild, in a naturalized population, nor in captivity, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: : EX

   a list of extinct animals that once inhabited the Isle of Man.

   Synonyms: gone, defunct

3. no longer in use; obsolete:

   an extinct custom.

   Synonyms: archaic

4. extinguished; quenched; not burning:

   evidence of a half dozen extinct campfires.

   Synonyms: out

5. Geology. (of a volcano) not having erupted for at least 10,000 years and not expected to erupt again. Compare active ( def 10 ), dormant ( def 6 ).

extinct

/ ɪkˈstɪŋkt /

adjective

1. (of an animal or plant species) having no living representative; having died out
2. quenched or extinguished
3. (of a volcano) no longer liable to erupt; inactive
4. void or obsolete

   an extinct political office

extinct

/ ĭk-stĭngkt′ /

1. Having no living members. Species become extinct for many reasons, including climate change, disease, destruction of habitat, local or worldwide natural disasters, and development into new species (speciation). The great majority of species that have ever lived—probably more than 99 percent—are now extinct.
2. No longer active or burning, as an extinct volcano.

Other Words From

• non·ex·tinct adjective
• un·ex·tinct adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extinct¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ex(s)tinctus, past participle of ex(s)tinguere; extinguish ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of extinct¹

C15: from Latin exstinctus quenched, from exstinguere to extinguish

Synonym Study

See dead.

Example Sentences

The skull comes from an extinct animal, Crocodylus checchiai.

From Science News For Students

Next, the scientists combined eggshell data with what’s known about the family trees of extinct and living egg-laying animals.

From Science News For Students

New analyses of a roughly 7-million-year old skull from the extinct Crocodylus checchiai suggest that crocodiles journeyed from Africa to the Americas millions of years ago, researchers report July 23 in Scientific Reports.

From Science News

Combining this and other eggshell data with the evolutionary relationships of extinct and living egg-laying animals, the researchers calculated the most likely scenario for dinosaur egg evolution.

From Science News

It is not even guaranteed to produce more species, since evolution can occur in a single lineage and this can go extinct at any time.

From Singularity Hub 

In origins, as in Washington politics, moderates are slowly going extinct.

From The Daily Beast

So while the divas are fewer in number in 2014, they are far from extinct.

From The Daily Beast

His decision reflected a quality—largely extinct in show business now—called integrity.

From The Daily Beast

Yabuki also notes that as tigers go extinct throughout the world, China sees raising them as a good business opportunity.

From The Daily Beast

Wild tigers are rare in China, with some varieties now believed to be extinct.

From The Daily Beast

What course was taken to supply that assembly when any noble family became extinct?

From Project Gutenberg

Her hope persisted until half-past nine: it then began to fade, and, at ten o'clock, was extinct.

From Project Gutenberg

The senior branch of the family being thus extinct the whole of the entailed estate had devolved on me.

From Project Gutenberg

The forests there are wonderful, and it is there, if anywhere, that the almost extinct Indian lion is still to be found.

From Project Gutenberg

The great auk is but a memory; the bittern booms more rarely in our eastern marshes; and now they tell me Brigadiers are extinct.

From Project Gutenberg