early 15c., "annihilation," from Latin extinctionem/exstinctionem (nominative extinctio/exstinctio) "extinction, annihilation," noun of action from past participle stem of extinguere/exstinguere "quench, wipe out" (see extinguish). Originally of fires, lights; figurative use, the wiping out of a material thing (a debt, a person, a family, etc.) from early 17c.; of species by 1784.
the extinction of the volcano
the extinction of a species
they think a meteor cause the extinction of the dinosaurs
the extinction of the lights
external
externality
externalization
externalize
extinct
extinction
extinguish
extinguishable
extinguisher
extirpate
extirpation