extinction
n. C / Un. the situation where a whole group of animals or plants dies out and no longer exists. You use this when a species is gone forever.
n. the permanent disappearance of a species or higher taxonomic group from the planet. Often used in ecological contexts to describe the terminal failure of a biological lineage.
Many animals face extinction because of habitat loss.
Scientists are working hard to prevent the extinction of the mountain gorilla through conservation and protected habitats.
The fossil record reveals several mass extinction events where a significant percentage of all life on Earth perished due to rapid environmental shifts.
From late Middle English, borrowed from Latin extinctio (“extinction, annihilation”), from extinguere, past participle extinctus (“to extinguish”); see extinguish.
Uncountable when referring to the general concept; countable when referring to specific historical events (e.g., 'a mass extinction').