What does extermine mean?
Extermine is a now-archaic English verb meaning to destroy completely or root out entirely. It entered the language from Latin exterminare, formed from ex- ('out') combined with a root relating to boundaries or limits — originally suggesting the driving out or banishing of something beyond a border before it came to imply outright destruction. Historically, it functioned exactly where modern speakers would use 'exterminate': describing the wiping out of peoples, plagues, heresies, or institutions. Today it survives only in older texts and antiquarian writing, and readers encountering it should understand it simply as a compact, obsolete equivalent of 'exterminate'. Its interest lies largely in this historical character — a reminder that English vocabulary is littered with near-synonyms that once competed side by side before one form prevailed. For anyone reading early modern chronicles, legal decrees, or translated classics, recognizing 'extermine' unlocks passages that would otherwise read as puzzling.
verbTo destroy utterly; to eliminate completely. An archaic or rare synonym of 'exterminate'.
- To destroy utterly; to wipe out completely (archaic).
"The decree sought to extermine every trace of dissent from the province."
"The invaders vowed to extermine the settlement and everything in it."
"Old chronicles record how plague could extermine entire villages within a season."
Before 'exterminate' took over English, writers reached for its shorter cousin 'extermine' — a word that has all but vanished from modern use.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of extermine
Extermine derives from Latin exterminare, built on ex- ('out') plus terminus ('boundary'), so its original sense was to drive beyond a boundary or banish. It passed into English via Old French exterminer in the late Middle Ages or early modern period, initially carrying the sense of expelling or rooting out before shifting toward total destruction. It shares this Latin origin with 'exterminate', 'terminate', and related words such as 'determine', all ultimately tied to the notion of a fixed limit. Over time, 'exterminate' displaced 'extermine', leaving the shorter form archaic.
How extermine is actually used
Archaic and rare in modern English; 'exterminate' is strongly preferred in contemporary usage. When encountered, it appears chiefly in historical texts or deliberately archaic prose.
Easily confused with extermine
'Extermine' is an archaic variant meaning the same as 'exterminate', which is the standard modern word for destroying completely.