evacuare

Definition & meaning

Evacuare means to evacuate, in several senses:

• To move people away from a dangerous place: evacuare gli abitanti means “to evacuate the residents.”
• To leave or clear a place because of danger: evacuare un edificio means “to evacuate a building.”
• In medicine, to empty the bowels or expel bodily contents.
• In technical contexts, to remove gas, liquid, or other material from a space.

Grammar & Word origin

Evacuare is a regular -are verb. It is usually transitive, but it can also be used without a direct object, especially in the medical sense.

It comes from Latin evacuare, meaning “to empty,” formed from e- (“out”) and vacuus (“empty”).

Synonyms & antonyms

• sgomberare ↗ — to clear or vacate a place; it can also refer to removing objects or occupants, not necessarily because of danger.
• abbandonare ↗ — to leave or abandon a place; broader than evacuare and does not necessarily imply an organized response.
• occupare ↗ — to occupy a place; an antonym when evacuare means to clear or leave it.

Common phrases & collocations

• evacuare un edificio ↗ — to evacuate a building.
• evacuare la popolazione ↗ — to evacuate the population.
• evacuare l’intestino ↗ — to empty the bowels.