extinction
extinction — noun
1. the complete disappearance of a particular type of living thing, language, or wa
the complete disappearance of a particular type of living thing, language, or way of life from the world, so that it stops existing anywhere.
Many frog species now face extinction because their habitats are disappearing.
collocation: face extinction
Haruto worries that traditional crafts will face extinction as fewer young people learn them.
The extinction of the passenger pigeon showed how fast a huge population can vanish.
Park rangers in Sumatra track rhinos day and night to prevent their extinction from poaching.
Jabari's research focuses on the extinction of minority languages in West Africa.
- disappearance
less final — extinction is permanent, while something could reappear after disappearing
- dying out
more informal and process-focused; describes a gradual decline
- loss
broader; can refer to individuals or parts of a group, not just the whole group vanishing
- survival
the state of continuing to exist
- preservation
active efforts to keep something from disappearing
文法句型
face extinction
be in danger of extinction
be on the brink of extinction
用法筆記
Often used with verbs such as face, be in danger of, and be on the brink of. The subject can be a species, a language, a culture, or a tradition.
常見錯誤
2. the deliberate and total destruction of a group of people, animals, or things, o
the deliberate and total destruction of a group of people, animals, or things, often through violent or forceful means.
Colonial settlers drove several native communities in Tasmania to extinction through violence.
Government forces burned sacred sites to push the local religion to extinction in the conquered territory.
Hunters pushed the local deer population to the edge of extinction before the ban.
Salma's documentary shows how colonial forces drove indigenous groups to near extinction.
Illegal hunting caused the near-extinction of several rare bird species on the island.
- annihilation
emphasises complete and violent destruction even more strongly
- extermination
specifically refers to killing living beings, often people or pests
- eradication
used for diseases, pests, or ideas; often implies systematic removal
- preservation
active effort to keep something safe from harm
- protection
measures taken to prevent harm or destruction
文法句型
extinction of + group
drive/push to extinction
用法筆記
Stronger and more deliberate than sense 1. This sense implies that someone or something actively causes the disappearance — it is not a natural or accidental process.
常見錯誤
3. in behavioral psychology, the process where a learned behavior slowly stops beca
in behavioral psychology, the process where a learned behavior slowly stops because the expected reward no longer follows it.
In the experiment, extinction occurred when the rat pressed the lever but received no food.
extinction in operant conditioning experiments
The child's tantrum stopped after several days of extinction during which his parents ignored it.
extinction as a behavioral therapy technique
Élise used extinction to reduce her patient's nail-biting habit by removing the reward.
In psychology class, a rat's bar-pressing reappeared days later — spontaneous recovery after extinction.
Niran observed extinction in the lab when the pigeon's pecking no longer brought grain.
- elimination
general term; does not specify the mechanism of removing reinforcement
- suppression
may be temporary, while extinction implies a lasting reduction through conditioning principles
- reinforcement
the process of strengthening a behavior by providing a reward
文法句型
extinction of a behavior/response
undergo extinction
extinction burst
用法筆記
Technical term in behaviorism and applied behavioral analysis. A temporary increase in the behavior, called an 'extinction burst,' often happens just before the behavior fades completely.