extinctionnoun [ U ]
uk/ɪkˈstɪŋk.ʃən/us/ɪkˈstɪŋk.ʃən/C1 a situation in which something no longer exists:
The extinction of the dinosaurs occurred millions of years ago.
Many species of plants and animals are in danger of/threatened with extinction (= being destroyed so that they no longer exist).
Some people predict the extinction of family life as we know it today.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Death and dying
- be pushing up (the) daisies idiom
- bereave
- bite
- bury
- buy the farm idiom
- depart
- done
- drop
- expire
- foot
- gone
- inquest
- loss
- mortality
- peg
- posthumous
- road kill
- SIDS
- sudden infant death syndrome
- the disappeared
See more results »