extinction

[ik-stingk-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of extinguishing.

2. the fact or condition of being extinguished or extinct.

3. suppression; abolition; annihilation.

   the extinction of an army.

4. Biology.,  the act or process of becoming extinct; a coming to an end or dying out.

   the extinction of a species.

5. Psychology.,  the reduction or loss of a conditioned response as a result of the absence or withdrawal of reinforcement.

6. Astronomy.,  the diminution in the intensity of starlight caused by absorption as it passes through the earth's atmosphere or through interstellar dust.

7. Crystallography, Optics.,  the darkness that results from rotation of a thin section to an angle extinction angle at which plane-polarized light is absorbed by the polarizer.

extinction

/ ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən /

noun

1. the act of making extinct or the state of being extinct

2. the act of extinguishing or the state of being extinguished

3. complete destruction; annihilation

4. physics reduction of the intensity of radiation as a result of absorption or scattering by matter

5. astronomy the dimming of light from a celestial body as it passes through an absorbing or scattering medium, such as the earth's atmosphere or interstellar dust

6. psychol a process in which the frequency or intensity of a learned response is decreased as a result of reinforcement being withdrawn Compare habituation

extinction

1. The fact of being extinct or the process of becoming extinct.

2. See more at background extinction mass extinction

3. A progressive decrease in the strength of a conditioned response, often resulting in its elimination, because of withdrawal of a specific stimulus.

extinction

1. The disappearance of a species from the Earth.

The fossil record tells us that 99.9 percent of all species that ever lived are now extinct.

Other Word Forms

• nonextinction noun
• preextinction noun
• self-extinction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of extinction¹

1375–1425; late Middle English extinccio ( u ) n < Latin ex ( s ) tinctiōn- (stem of ex ( s ) tinctiō ). See extinct, -ion

Example Sentences

But, while persecution in their native lands persists, the hope is that rearing even the smallest number of chicks in Wales could help save them from extinction.

From BBC

Honey is a brazenly preposterous creation: a 21st century woman who insists on using a Rolodex, something that was headed toward extinction before Qualley was even born.

From Los Angeles Times

As a single species, the giraffe was classed as vulnerable to extinction, although some of the sub-species were increasing in numbers.

From BBC

Just two days before potential expulsion from the National League, and the extinction which would almost certainly have followed, Morecambe FC's financial crisis has finally led to a completed takeover.

From BBC

His career fizzled close to extinction, but he showed an impressive ability to reinvent himself - with his ability to project style and menace bringing him to the attention of new generations.

From BBC

Related Words

• annihilation 
• destruction 
• elimination 
• obsolescence