Etymology From Late Middle English extinct (“eliminated, eradicated, extinguished”), from Latin extīnctus, exstīnctus (“extinguished, quenched; destroyed, killed; made extinct”), the perfect passive participles of extinguō, exstinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench; (figurative) to abolish; to destroy, kill”), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + stinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench”) (from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- (“to push”)). The Middle English word displaced Middle English aqueint, aquenched (“extinct; extinguished”). Doublet of extinguish.
Archaic Of fire, etc.: no longer alight; of a light, etc.: no longer shining; extinguished, quenched.
Edward’s cigarillo was extinct by the time he had finished talking.
Ah pleaſant proof! / That piety has ſtill in human hearts / Some place, a ſpark or tvvo not yet extinct.1785, William Cowper, “Book VI. The Winter Walk at Noon.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 256:
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Most of the lamps were extinct, but they glittered golden in the morning light, and in some few a pale white flame yet struggled with day.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 311:
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Figuratively Of feelings, a person's spirit, a state of affairs, etc.: put out, as if like a fire; quenched, suppressed.
My breath is corrupt, my dayes are extinct, the graues are ready for me.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 17:1, column 2:
I am the Lord, your holy one, the Creatour of Iſrael, your King. […] Which bringeth foorth the charet and horſe, the armie and the power: they ſhall lie downe together, they ſhall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as towe.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 43:15 and 17, column 1:
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Conversation seemed nearly extinct, and yet neither offered to turn back.1827, [Benjamin Disraeli], chapter XII, in Vivian Grey, volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book V, page 236:
I knew at Paris a criminal condemned to die by the halter, […] He was cut down, and given to his friends before life was extinct, and I had the good fortune to recover him.1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 19:
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Figuratively Of customs, ideas, laws and legal rights, offices, organizations, languages, etc.: no longer existing or in use; defunct, discontinued, obsolete; specifically, of a title of nobility: no longer having any person qualified to hold it.
Luckily, such ideas about race are extinct in current sociological theory.
The title became extinct when the last baron died.
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[King Edward] as being deſcended of the eldeſt Daughter of Dauid, Earle of Huntingdon, a yonger ſonne of [Henry of] Scotland; vvhoſe iſſue (the line of the elder brother being extinct) vvas to inherite, vvithout queſtion.1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Edward the First, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 23, page 652, column 2:
[I]f the father bee infeoffed with warrantie to him and his heyres, the father infeoffeth his eldeſt ſon with warrantie and dieth, the Law giueth to the ſonne aduantage of the Warrantie made to his father, becauſe by act in Law the Warrantie betweene the father and the ſonne is extinct.1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Of Warrantie”, in The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, →OCLC, book 3, section 733, folio 384, verso:
[W]hen the Povver of an Aſſembly is once ſuppreſſed, the Right of the ſame periſheth utterly; becauſe the Aſſembly it ſelfe is extinct; and conſequently, there is no poſſibility for the Soveraignty to re-enter.1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Those Things that Weaken, or Tend to the Dissolution of a Common-wealth”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 174:
An Eccleſiaſtical Cenſure is tvvofold; the one inflicted by Lavv; and the other inflicted by Man. […] Some ſay, That a Cenſure ab Homine, ceaſes on the Death of the Perſon, that pronounced the ſame; but a Cenſure inflicted à Jure continues, tho' ſuch Lavv be extinct, or the Lavv-giver removed from his Office.1726, John Ayliffe, “Of Ecclesiastical Censures, and the Division thereof”, in Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England. […], London: […] D. Leach, and sold by John Walthoe […], →OCLC, page 156:
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Biology, Natural sciencesFiguratively Of an animal or plant species or group of species, a group of people, a family, etc., having no living members, representatives, or descendants.
Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.
I vvent dovvn aftervvards into Yorkſhire; but my Father vvas dead, and my Mother, and all the Family extinct, except that I found tvvo Siſters, and tvvo of the Children of one of my Brothers; […]1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 331:
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[M]any breeds, now extinct or rare, both of quadrupeds and birds, were still common.1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter III, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 312:
I am fully convinced that species are not immutable; but that those belonging to what are called the same genera are lineal descendants of some other and generally extinct species, in the same manner as the acknowledged varieties of any one species are the descendants of that species.1859 November 24, Charles Darwin, “Introduction”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 6:
Wrex: And before you die, I want you to know I'm calling off our support for Earth! If my people go extinct, so do yours!2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3, Redwood City, Calif.: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, P.C., scene: Citadel:
Muksin specifically mentioned 11 extinct indigenous languages, such as Tandia and Mawes in West Papua and Papua, along with Kajeli, Piru, Moksela, Palumata, Ternateno, Hukumina, Hoti, Serua, and Nila in different areas of Maluku.2024 March 8, Antara, “11 Indigenous Languages Declared Extinct: Education Ministry”, in Jakarta Globe:
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Geography, Geology, Natural sciencesFiguratively Of a geological feature: no longer active; specifically, of a volcano: no longer erupting.
Most of the volcanos on this island are now extinct.
They found the sites of extinct geysers.
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Figuratively Of a radioisotope: no longer occurring primordially due to having decayed away completely, because it has a relatively short half-life.
Nuclear physics
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Figuratively, Obsolete Of a person: dead; also, permanently separated from others.
[H]e may at lybertie / Paſſe ſaue without hys ieopardy / Tyll that he be from vs extyncte / And clerely out of helles precincte[1545?], John Heywood, The Playe Called The Foure PP […], London: […] Wyllyam Myddylton, →OCLC; reprinted as John S. Farmer, editor, The Play Called The Four PP […] (The Tudor Facsimile Texts), London; Edinburgh: […] T. C. & E. C. Jack, […], 1908, →OCLC, signature D.iii., recto:
Etymology From Middle English extincten (“to extinguish or put out (a fire, light, etc.); to destroy, kill; (figurative) to suppress (an uprising); (law) to quash or stop (legal proceedings); to cancel (a privilege, title, etc.); (medicine) to eliminate or reduce (inflammation, an ulcer, etc.)”), from extinct (adjective) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs).
› Synonym of extinguish.
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Obsolete To stop (fire, etc.) from burning; also, to stop (light, etc.) from shining; to put out, to quench.
[…] Eugenia […] was put in the hot baths, which were extincted, and ſhe preſerued: […] At laſt the ſtorie ſaith, ſhée was with the ſword beheaded.1610 October, John Foxe, “The Eighth Persecution”, in Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book I, page 66, column 2:
Figuratively, Obsolete To put an end to (something) completely; to annihilate, to destroy.
Graunt that al ſinne & vice here maie bee ſo extinct: that thei neuer haue power to raigne in they ſeruaũtes. Amẽ.1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “Of Them that be Baptised in Priuate Houses in Tyme of Necessitie”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio viii, recto:
[…] Almes doe deliuer from all ſinne and from death;[…]. Not from that (ſaith Cyprian) which the blood of Chriſt hath once extincted, and from which the wholeſome grace of our baptiſme, and of our redeemer hath deliuered vs, but from that death which afterwards creepeth in by ſinne, &c.1610 October, John Foxe, “The Eighth Persecution”, in Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book I, page 63, column 2:
› Synonym of extinguish. › To put an end to (something) completely; to…
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Biology, Natural sciencesFiguratively, Obsolete, Specifically To cause (an animal or plant species) to die out completely or become extinct (adjective etymology 1 sense 2.3).
Paleontologists determine which animal species were extincted, and geomorphologists can find cycles of soil erosion. […] The first settlers were living along the coast of this very large island off Africa [Madagascar], but in about seven hundred years they had spread across the entire island and in the process extincted almost all large game, including hippos, tortoises, giant lemurs—some two dozen species in all.2003, Steven A. LeBlanc, Katherine E. Register, “Was there Ever an Eden?”, in Constant Battles: Why We Fight, 1st St. Martin’s Griffin edition, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, published August 2004, →ISBN, page 34:
› Synonym of extinguish.
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Figuratively, Obsolete To suppress (something, as feelings, a person's spirit, a state of affairs, etc.); to quench.
It is more hard, loue to our ſelues to extinkt, / Then hate to other, to plucke from tharts preſinkt, / Thus, of iuſtice no let ledeth intrupcion, / Like this loue (name ſelfe loue) growne of corrupcion.1556, John Heywood, chapter 7, in The Spider and the Flie. […], London: […] Tho[mas] Powell, →OCLC; republished as A[dolphus] W[illiam] Ward, editor, The Spider and the Flie. […] (Publications of the Spenser Society, New Series; 6), Manchester: […] [Charles E. Simms] for the Spenser Society, 1894, →OCLC, page 50:
Great Ioue, Othello guard, / And ſvvell his Saile vvith thine ovvne povvrefull breath, / That he may bleſſe this Bay vvith his tall Ship, / Make loues quicke pants in Deſdemonaes Armes, / Giue renevv'd fire to our extincted Spirits.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 316, column 2:
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LawFiguratively, Obsolete To abolish or make void (a law, a legal right, etc.); also, to cancel (a creditor's claim, a license, etc.).
So if I have a rent charge, and grant it upon condition; now, though the condition be broken, the grantee's estate is not defeated till I have made my claim: but if after any such grant my father purchase the land, and it descend to me; now, if the condition be broken, the rent ceaseth without claim. But if I had purchased the land myself, then I had extincted mine own condition, because I had disabled myself to make my claim.c. 1596 (date written), Francis Bacon, “Maxims of the Law. Regula IX. Quod remedio destituitur ipsa re valet, si culpa absit.”, in James Spedding, Robert Leslie Ellis, and Douglas Denon Heath, editors, The Works of Francis Bacon, […], volume VII, London: Longman, Green, and Co.; […], published 1859, →OCLC, page 353:
And foraſmuch as the ſaid Statute vvas ordained to give a Certainty of Title in the Lands and Tenements compriſed in the Fine, it ſeemeth that the Fine extincteth the Title of all other, as vvell in Conſcience, as it doth in the Lavv.1746, Christopher St. Germain, “The Fifth Question of the Student”, in Doctor and Student: Or Dialogues between a Doctor of Divinity, and a Student in the Laws of England, […], In the Savoy [London]: […] Henry Lintot, (assignee of Edward Sayer, Esq), →OCLC, page 74:
Etymology Either: * from Latin extīnctus, exstīnctus, a noun use of the perfect passive participle of extinguō, exstinguō (see etymology 1); or * from the verb (see etymology 2).
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Obsolete Synonym of extinction (“the action of becoming or making extinct; annihilation”).
[W]ho is he […] as vvould not euen in the glas of Lucreſias perſeuerãce (euẽ to the vttermoſt extinct of life) ſe the vvõder of bevvty, matched vvith the indiuiduat adiũt vnſoyled conſtancy.1606, I. F. [i.e., John Ford], “To the Right Honorable the Earle of Pembroke. Third Position. Faire Ladie was Neuer False.”, in Honor Triumphant. Or The Peeres Challenge, by Armes Defensible, at Tilt, Turney, and Barriers. […], London: […] [George Eld] for Francis Burton, →OCLC, signature [D2], verso:
[W]ee have cauſe to feare the loſſe of our Kingdome, and you the extinct of the Engliſh nations renovvne; […]1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Ethelred Commonly Called the Unreadie, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book VII ([The Saxons] […]), paragraph 30, page 360, column 1: