extinctionist
|ex-tinc-tion-ist|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃənɪst/
🇬🇧
/ɪkˈstɪŋ(k)ʃənɪst/
advocate of extinction
Etymology
'extinctionist' originates from English, formed from the noun 'extinction' (from Latin 'exstinctio') plus the agent suffix '-ist', where 'extinction' comes from Latin 'exstinguere' meaning 'to extinguish' and '-ist' denotes 'one who practices or advocates'.
'extinction' changed from Latin 'exstinguere' (earlier components ex- 'out' + stinguere 'to quench') to Medieval/Old French and Middle English forms such as 'extinctiō'/'extinction', and the modern English agent noun 'extinctionist' was created by adding the suffix '-ist' to 'extinction' in modern English.
Initially it related to 'to extinguish' or 'to quench' in a literal sense; over time 'extinction' came to mean 'the state of being brought to an end or ceasing to exist', and 'extinctionist' evolved to mean 'one who advocates or is associated with extinction'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who advocates or supports the deliberate extinction or eradication of a species, population, or group (often as a policy or ideological stance).
He was accused of being an extinctionist after proposing measures that would eliminate the invasive species.
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Noun 2
a person who believes that extinction (particularly human extinction) is inevitable or desirable as a philosophical or political position.
Some members of that online movement describe themselves as extinctionists who argue for a voluntary end to humanity.
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Last updated: 2025/12/15 22:20