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verb B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

evacuate

ih-VAK-yoo-ayt

Evacuate (verb) means to leave a dangerous place, or move people out of one, for their safety. Example: “Residents were told to evacuate before the hurricane made landfall.”

verb
1
To leave a dangerous place, or move people out of one, for their safety.
"Residents were told to evacuate before the hurricane made landfall."
"Firefighters evacuated the building within minutes of the alarm."
2
To empty something out completely, including creating a vacuum.
"Engineers evacuated the chamber before running the test."

How to Use Evacuate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo clear people out of a dangerous area, or to empty something out.

Common pairings
evacuate the building evacuate residents ordered to evacuate

Word Forms

evacuated past tense, evacuates singular

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Test yourself on “evacuate” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Residents were told to _____ before the hurricane made landfall.

Etymology

From Latin ēvacuō, "to empty out" — first used in English around 1526.

Origin: Latin · First attested 1526

Class of 1526 evacuate joined the language around 1526.
See the full Class of 1526 →

Related Words

Rhymes for evacuate

See all rhymes for evacuate →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “evacuate” mean?

The word “evacuate” means to leave a dangerous place, or move people out of one, for their safety. In plain terms, to clear people out of a dangerous area, or to empty something out.

How do you pronounce “evacuate”?

“Evacuate” is pronounced ih-VAK-yoo-ayt (/ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “evacuate” in a sentence?

Here is “evacuate” used in a sentence: “Residents were told to evacuate before the hurricane made landfall.”

What part of speech is “evacuate”?

“Evacuate” is a verb.

Where does the word “evacuate” come from?

The word “evacuate” dates back to around 1526 and comes from Latin. From Latin ēvacuō, "to empty out" — first used in English around 1526.

Is “evacuate” a common word?

“Evacuate” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “evacuate” have?

“Evacuate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to leave a dangerous place, or move people out of one, for their safety.

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