# extinct

/ɪkˈstɪŋkt/ (US) · /ɛkstˈɪŋkt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/extinct
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. species/groups

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a type of animal or plant that has no living members left.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. volcanoes

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a volcano that is no longer active and is not expected to erupt again.

For teachers: no longer active or erupting; specifically used of volcanoes that have not erupted in recorded history and are unlikely to do so again.

- 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.

### 3. laws/customs

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

no longer in use or no longer existing, like an old law or a way of life.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. fire/light

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

no longer burning or shining.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The dodo is an extinct bird.
- Scientists are studying the DNA of extinct animals to understand how they once lived in this environment.
- While many species are naturally lost over geological time, the current rate of extinction is significantly higher due to human activity and habitat destruction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.