The English Oracle

If I help "evacuate" a building, what am I doing to the people?

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Chapters
00:00 If I Help &Quot;Evacuate&Quot; A Building, What Am I Doing To The People?
01:42 Answer 1 Score 14
02:04 Accepted Answer Score 7
02:18 Answer 3 Score 2
02:46 Answer 4 Score 1
03:11 Answer 5 Score 1
04:05 Thank you

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Full question
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Tags
#wordchoice #grammaticality

#avk47


ANSWER 1

Score 15


e·vac·u·ate

  1. Remove (someone) from a place of danger to a safe place.
  2. Leave or cause the occupants to leave (a place of danger).

Evacuate is the correct word here.



ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 7


I'd say that you are rescuing them, or helping them exit the building.



ANSWER 3

Score 1


In addition to the to make empty definition, several dictionaries also list to remove (persons or things) from a place, as a dangerous place or disaster area, for reasons of safety or protection: to evacuate the inhabitants of towns in the path of a flood.

So evacuate works in either case.



ANSWER 4

Score 1


Here are some rough (and in some cases rather arguable) synonyms of evacuate

  • abandon
  • desert
  • withdraw
  • move out

They do not bear the same meaning as evacuate, but it is possible to use them instead of evacuate. You just need to explicitly describe the situation.

Sailors abandoned ship the moment it become obvious they can't save her.