ex·tinct
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t 
ˈek-ˌstiŋ(k)t
ˈek-ˌstiŋ(k)t
1
a
: no longer burning
an extinct fire
an extinct hope
b
: no longer active
an extinct volcano
2
: no longer existing
an extinct animal
3
a
: gone out of use : superseded
extinct customs
b
: having no qualified claimant
an extinct title
Examples of extinct in a Sentence
Adjective
Many of these old traditions have since become extinct.
a few overgrown ruins are all that remain of that once mighty but now extinct civilization
Recent Examples on the Web
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
And while many are extinct or dormant, two of them, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, are still capable of destructive and deadly eruptions.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Time will tell if the mid-major is really extinct or if these last two years were a random happenstance in a college landscape that continues to radically shift.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
The pygmy hippopotamus, once thought to surface in the swamps, is believed to be extinct.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinct
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Adjective
The Orange County Transportation Authority has said half of the public agency’s bus routes travel through the city, shadowing 75% of ATN’s routes, with the remaining of the soon-to-be-extinct routes within walking distance of existing OC Bus stops.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
And while many are extinct or dormant, two of them, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, are still capable of destructive and deadly eruptions.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Time will tell if the mid-major is really extinct or if these last two years were a random happenstance in a college landscape that continues to radically shift.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
The pygmy hippopotamus, once thought to surface in the swamps, is believed to be extinct.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinct
Cite this Entry
“Extinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinct. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
extinct
adjective
ex·tinct
ik-ˈstiŋ(k)t
ˈek-ˌ
ˈek-ˌ
: no longer existing : lacking living representatives
extinct prehistoric animals
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