excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the action or process of excavating

2

: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping

excavational

ˌek-skə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

No excavation projects tied to the metro were going on under the tower, the city government added. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025

An earthmover operator was filling in the excavation trenches and restoring Brodgar Farm to its former state. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

While it was long assumed the Hall was completely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1834, the recent excavations tell a slightly different story. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for excavation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən 

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 

1

: the action or process of excavating

2

: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping