extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: the act or process of extracting something

2

: ancestry, origin

a family of French extraction

3

: something extracted

Synonyms of extraction

• ancestry
• lineage
• origin
• descent
• breeding
• genealogy
• family
• pedigree

Examples of extraction in a Sentence

tooth extractions and other dental procedures

the extraction of teeth by dentists

the extraction of juices from plant matter

Recent Examples on the Web

In short, the infrastructure is being built, initial missions have been flown, but full-scale commercial extraction remains a future prospect. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025

The Venezuelan oil industry could once again raise capital and market its product in the United States, opening up new vistas for extraction on both sides of the trade. —Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025

Norway was not especially affluent until the extraction of oil from the North Sea, in the seventies, began to raise the standard of living dramatically. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Poor safety measures — including lack of smoke extraction, faulty alarms, inadequate staff training and missing sprinkler systems — allowed fumes to fill upper floors. —CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English extraccioun "removal (of blood, foreign matter from the body), determination (of the root of a number)," borrowed from Late Latin extractiōn-, extractiō "withdrawal, removal," from Latin extrac-, variant stem of extrahere "to pull out, draw forth" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at extract entry 1

Note: Sense 2, attested since William Caxton, is based on Middle French extracion, estration, etc., in this meaning.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing extraction

• dilation and extraction

Rhymes for extraction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• impaction
• inaction
• infraction
• olfaction

Kids Definition

extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: the act or process of extracting

2

: the origin of a person

of Italian extraction

Medical Definition

extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

: the act or process of extracting something

extraction of a tooth