How to say "extinction" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 消滅しょうめつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers extinction in the broad sense of disappearing, vanishing, or being extinguished — rights, debts, cities, hopes. The most general of these words when nothing biological is meant.
- 絶滅ぜつめつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe usual word for extinction of animal and plant species, and by extension the extermination of peoples. If you mean dinosaurs or endangered wildlife going extinct, this is the word you want.
- 死滅しめつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbRefers to things dying off completely — organisms, germs, or a population perishing outright. It stresses total death rather than disappearance, and is narrower than 絶滅 or 消滅.
- 断絶だんぜつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbUsed for the extinction of a family line or lineage, or a break in continuity such as relations or tradition being cut off. For a family dying out, this fits better than 絶滅.
- 廃絶はいぜつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbMeans extinction mainly as deliberate discontinuation or abolition — for example of treaties or weapons. It is not the word for natural extinction of species; for that use 絶滅.
Use 絶滅 for species dying out, 消滅 for things vanishing or being extinguished, 死滅 for organisms or groups dying off completely, 断絶 for a family line ending, and 廃絶 for abolition or discontinuation.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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