Environment / B2

ik-STINGKT/ɪkˈstɪŋkt/

Extinct means a species no longer exists, or a volcano is no longer active: go extinct; an extinct language. Endangered means still here but at risk (related to endanger). Dormant (separate headword) means sleeping, of volcanoes. The red squirrel is not extinct locally, the trust said. Do not call a cancelled bus route extinct except as a joke.

Meaning

Of a species, no longer existing; of a volcano, no longer active.

Examples

• “The local red squirrel is not extinct, the wildlife trust said.”
• “An extinct volcano is not the same as a dormant one, which is a geography trap.”

Good to know

become / go extinct; an extinct species / volcano / language. Contrast: endangered; dormant (volcanoes). Noun: extinction. Conservation and geology. Absolute — not “almost extinct” in careful science (say critically endangered).

Topics

New