Word
extinct
Phoneticsex·tinct, stress on the second syllable
US/ɪkˈstɪŋkt/
UK/ɛkstˈɪŋkt/
Definitions
01species/groups
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science
adj. describing a type of animal or plant that has no living members left.
adj. having no living representatives; used of a species, family, or other larger group of organisms.
“The dodo is a famous example of a bird that became extinct because of hunting.”
“Biologists estimate that thousands of undocumented species become extinct every decade due to rapid habitat loss in tropical rainforests.”
02volcanoes
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science
adj. describing a volcano that is no longer active and is not expected to erupt again.
adj. no longer active or erupting; specifically used of volcanoes that have not erupted in recorded history and are unlikely to do so again.
Español:extinto
“The hikers climbed to the top of the extinct volcano to see the lake inside.”
“Unlike dormant peaks which may eventually wake, an extinct volcano shows no seismic activity and its magma supply has been cut off for millennia.”
03laws/customs
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
adj. no longer in use or no longer existing, like an old law or a way of life.
adj. no longer in existence, operation, or use; applied to titles, legal rights, or cultural practices.
“The lawyer explained that the old property right was now extinct.”
“The peerage became extinct upon the death of the tenth duke, as he left no male heirs to inherit the title.”
04fire/light
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
adj. no longer burning or shining.
adj. extinguished or quenched; no longer alight.
“The fire was now extinct, leaving only cold grey ashes in the hearth.”
“He stared into the extinct embers of the campfire, feeling a loneliness as deep as the surrounding woods.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“That pattern suggests these areas were important habitats that offered resources valuable enough to draw extinct human relatives back repeatedly.” “Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa was an extinct proto-crocodile identified by Yale University researchers.” Etymology
From Late Middle English extinct (“eliminated, eradicated, extinguished”), from Latin extīnctus, exstīnctus (“extinguished, quenched; destroyed, killed; made extinct”), the perfect passive participles of extinguō, exstinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench; (figurative) to abolish; to destroy, kill”), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + stinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench”) (from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- (“to push”)). The Middle English word displaced Middle English aqueint, aquenched (“extinct; extinguished”). Doublet of extinguish.
From Middle English extincten (“to extinguish or put out (a fire, light, etc.); to destroy, kill; (figurative) to suppress (an uprising); (law) to quash or stop (legal proceedings); to cancel (a privilege, title, etc.); (medicine) to eliminate or reduce (inflammation, an ulcer, etc.)”), from extinct (adjective) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs).
Either: * from Latin extīnctus, exstīnctus, a noun use of the perfect passive participle of extinguō, exstinguō (see etymology 1); or * from the verb (see etymology 2).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/extinct
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0