extinction

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The action of making or becoming extinct; annihilation.

   “Thirteen long centuries have elapsed since the extinction of the last Zoroastrian Empire[…]”

   “Their lives were short; all were condemned by the early 1930s, presumably because, like most classes of G.S.W.R. engines, their small numbers invited extinction under any comprehensive programme of standardisation.”

   “The extinction of a species once so numerous seemed incredible.”

   “Dr. Manuel: You're wasting your time. The age of humanity is over. Our extinction is inevitable.”

   “Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The absorption or scattering of electromagnetic radiation emitted by astronomical objects by intervening dust and gas before it reaches the observer.
3. (countable, uncountable)The inability to perceive multiple stimuli simultaneously.
4. (countable, uncountable)The fading of a conditioned response over time if it is not reinforced.