extractive

adjective ex·trac·tive \ ik-ˈstrak-tiv , ˈek-ˌstrak- \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Definition of extractive

1 a : of, relating to, or involving extraction

b : tending toward or resulting in withdrawal of natural resources by extraction with no provision for replenishment

extractive agriculture

2 : capable of being extracted

—

extractively

adverb

Recent Examples of extractive from the Web

Before data mining was the preferred extractive industry of the Santa Clara Valley, mineral extraction built one of the region’s earliest variations of the company town.

— ingrid burrington, The Atlantic, "Who Gets to Live in Silicon Valley?," 25 June 2018
Highlighting our industry’s economic clout is probably the best way to counter the other economic forces competing for the use of our public lands: extractive industries like oil and gas development and mining.

— alex honnold, Outside Online, "Alex Honnold to Politicos: Leave Our Public Lands Alone," 25 May 2018
The administration sold off land, cleared a path for extractive industries.

— leah sottile, Longreads, "Bundyville Chapter Three: A Clan Not to Cross," 17 May 2018
The Terrys’ tree-sit isn’t Appalachia’s first sally against an extractive industry.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "Whose Appalachia Is It, Anyway?," 8 May 2018
And communities may have high expectations regarding the amount of work and public benefits that extractive projects offer — but then these expectations are not met because of neglect, corruption and poorly performing government.

— renard sexton, Washington Post, "China is fueling a new ‘resource curse’ — and riots around the world," 25 Apr. 2018
Because women’s work is often connected to the land, women have long fought to protect their natural environments, often from extractive industries and agribusinesses that compete for access to resources.

— sara schonhardt, The Christian Science Monitor, "Where women lead on climate change," 1 May 2018
Possible candidates are taxes on extractive industries and on goods harmful to health such as tobacco, alcohol and air pollution.

— The Economist, "The price of human livesMore and wiser health-care spending could save millions of lives," 26 Apr. 2018
The areas around Aldabra will ban all extractive uses such as fishing and petroleum exploration; the rest will be restricted to sustainable practices.

— Washington Post, "Seychelles swaps debt for groundbreaking marine protection," 23 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extractive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of extractive

1599

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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extractive

noun

Definition of extractive

: something extracted or extractable : extract

Recent Examples of extractive from the Web

That changed too, as jobs were lost to free trade and extractive industries like mining promised to replace them.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "How Conservatives Bet Big on Wisconsin and Won," 11 July 2018
This, plus the breakneck growth of extractive industries, explains why African forests are disappearing at a rate of 0.5% a year, faster than in South America.

— The Economist, "Africa’s big carbon emitters admit they have a problem," 21 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of extractive

1810

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

extractive

adjective ex·trac·tive \ ik-ˈstrak-tiv, ˈek-ˌ \

medical Definition of extractive

: of, relating to, or involving extraction

extractive processes

extractive

noun

medical Definition of extractive

: something extracted or extractable : extract

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extractive

Definition of extractive

extractively

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extractive

Definition of extractive

Recent Examples of extractive from the Web

First Known Use of extractive

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extractive

medical Definition of extractive

extractive

medical Definition of extractive

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extractive

Definition of extractive

extractively

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extractive

Definition of extractive

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extractive

medical Definition of extractive

extractive

medical Definition of extractive

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