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excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
Synonyms of excavationnext
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping
excavational adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Early site excavation and other construction work for the 90,000-square foot ballroom is already underway after the White House's East Wing was quickly demolished in October to make way for the massive addition. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025 In an October statement, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) said that its archaeologists conducted a two-week excavation to uncover Derrygonnelly Castle in Fermanagh. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025 The project experienced significant delays and cost overruns, with original estimates of 300 million Swedish kronor that eventually exceeded 500 million kronor by the time excavation began. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025 That’s the scene-setting intertitle that opens The Secret Agent, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s extraordinary excavation of a bygone age of national repression that may or may not bear a striking resemblance to more recent ages of authoritarianism. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for excavation

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavation was circa 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excavation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavation. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the act or process of excavating
2
: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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