The complete removal or destruction of something, especially a population of plants or animals from a particular place.
From Latin 'extirpatio,' derived from extirpare. Entered English in the 16th century as a formal noun describing the action of complete removal or eradication.
Ecologists use 'extirpation' to mean local extinction—when a species disappears from a specific region but survives elsewhere—which is actually hopeful because it means we might be able to bring animals back through reintroduction programs, unlike true extinction.
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