excavation

noun

ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
Synonyms of excavationnext
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping
excavational
ˌek-skə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce excavation (audio)
adjective

Examples of excavation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Greenwood Cemetery and Eastern Cemetery, which was owned by the same company, were put in receivership in 1989, and excavations found that around 80,000 people had been buried on land that was meant to hold 15,000. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026 And, in a detail that should make Spears’ legion of fans happy, Meriwether has also been doing a serious excavation into Brit’s catalog to get into the mood. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026 If the plans to destroy the theater are followed through, the process will, ironically, have to start with an excavation. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 The excavation was conducted between 2025 and 2026 ahead of an expansion of Pasta Garofalo's production facility, with the findings recently announced by the company in July. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excavation

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātiōn-, excavātiō, from excavāre "to hollow out, excavate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of excavation was circa 1611

Rhymes for excavation

See All Rhymes for excavation

Browse Nearby Words

excavate
excavation
excavator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excavation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the act or process of excavating
2
: a hollowed-out place formed by excavating

Medical Definition

excavation

noun
ex·​ca·​va·​tion ˌek-skə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce excavation (audio)
1
: the action or process of excavating
2
: a cavity formed by or as if by cutting, digging, or scooping

More from Merriam-Webster on excavation

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for excavation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about excavation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All