What does "evacuate" mean?
To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from.
Evacuate
/ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from.
- Grammar: evacuate is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: empty, abandon, abscond, airlift.
- Useful contrasts: abiding, living term, most living.
- Usage evidence: The threatening floods made it necessary to evacuate the town.
How to use "evacuate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "evacuate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "evacuate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "evacuate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "evacuate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "evacuate" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "empty" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "evacuate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To leave or withdraw from; to quit; to retire from. transitive
"The soldiers evacuated the fortress."
- 2 excrete or discharge from the body wordnet
- 3 To cause (or help) to leave or withdraw from.
"The firefighters decided to evacuate all the inhabitants from the street."
- 4 remove content from wordnet
- 5 To make empty; to empty out; to remove the contents of, including to create a vacuum.
"The scientist evacuated the chamber before filling it with nitrogen."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 create a vacuum in (a bulb, flask, reaction vessel) wordnet
- 7 To make empty; to deprive. figuratively
"Evacuate the Scriptures of their most important doctrines."
- 8 move out of an unsafe location into safety wordnet
- 9 To remove; to eject; to void; to discharge, as the contents of a vessel, or of the bladder or the bowels (to stool).
"In the living state, the body is observed to receive aliment; to assimilate a part; to evacuate what is redundant or useless; [...]"
- 10 move people from their homes or country wordnet
- 11 To make void; to nullify; to vacate.
"to evacuate a contract or marriage"
Example
"The threatening floods made it necessary to evacuate the town."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "evacuate"?
Common synonyms include: empty, abandon, abscond, airlift, airlifted, airlifting.
How do you use "evacuate" in a sentence?
The threatening floods made it necessary to evacuate the town.
How do you pronounce "evacuate"?
Pronounced /ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/.
Etymology
First attested in 1526; borrowed from Latin ēvacuātus, the perfect passive participle of ēvacuō (“to empty out, evacuate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).