extinctionism
|ex-tinc-tion-ism|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃənɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃənɪz(ə)m/
belief or doctrine of extinction
Etymology
'extinctionism' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'extinctio' (from past participle 'exstinctus'), where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'stinguere' (or 'stinct-') meant 'to quench' or 'to put out'.
'extinctionism' formed in English by adding the suffix '-ism' to the noun 'extinction'. The noun 'extinction' came into Middle English from Old French 'extincion' / 'extinction', ultimately from Latin 'extinctio', and the modern English term developed by combining that noun with the ideological suffix '-ism'.
Initially it referred to the action or fact of 'extinguishing' or 'ceasing to exist' (the literal sense); over time it has been used to name doctrines or ideologies concerning extinction (i.e., beliefs or advocacy about extinction).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the doctrine or belief that a species, group, or phenomenon will or should become extinct; broadly, an ideological stance centered on extinction.
Some critics accused the organization's rhetoric of promoting extinctionism rather than conservation.
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Noun 2
(rare) The philosophical or political advocacy for the deliberate ending or phasing out of a population, species, or practice.
Debates about bioethics sometimes touch on extreme positions described as extinctionism.
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Last updated: 2025/09/22 02:03