What does catastrophe mean?
Definitions for catastrophe
kəˈtæs trə ficatas·tro·phe
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word catastrophe.
Princeton's WordNet
calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysmnoun
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
"the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"
catastrophe, disasternoun
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
"lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"
catastrophe, cataclysmnoun
a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
Wiktionary
catastrophenoun
Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
catastrophenoun
A disaster beyond expectations
catastrophenoun
The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot in a tragedy.
catastrophenoun
A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.
Etymology: From καταστροφή, from καταστρέφω, from κατά + στρέφω
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Catastrophenoun
Etymology: ϰαταστϱοφὴ.
Pat!—He comes like the catastrophe of the old comedy. William Shakespeare, King Lear.
That philosopher declares for tragedies, whose catastrophes are unhappy, with relation to the principal characters. John Dennis.
Here was a mighty revolution, the most horrible and portentuous catastrophe that nature ever yet saw; an elegant and habitable earth quite shattered. John Woodward, Nat. Hist.
ChatGPT
catastrophe
A catastrophe is a sudden event that causes very significant damage, destruction, or loss. It typically refers to a natural disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or hurricane, but it can also refer to a severe accident or incident caused by human error or conflict, such as a nuclear meltdown or war. Catastrophes often result in significant harm to people, the environment, or property, leading to enormous recovery efforts.
Webster Dictionary
Catastrophenoun
an event producing a subversion of the order or system of things; a final event, usually of a calamitous or disastrous nature; hence, sudden calamity; great misfortune
Catastrophenoun
the final event in a romance or a dramatic piece; a denouement, as a death in a tragedy, or a marriage in a comedy
Catastrophenoun
a violent and widely extended change in the surface of the earth, as, an elevation or subsidence of some part of it, effected by internal causes
Etymology: [L. catastropha, Gr. , fr. to turn up and down, to overturn; kata` down + to turn.]
Wikidata
Catastrophe
Catastrophe is a short play by Samuel Beckett, written in French in 1982 at the invitation of A.I.D.A. and “[f]irst produced in the Avignon Festival … Beckett considered it ‘massacred.’” It is one of his few plays to deal with a political theme and, arguably, holds the title of Beckett's most optimistic work. It was dedicated to then imprisoned Czech reformer and playwright, Václav Havel.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Catastrophe
kat-as′trō-fē, n. an overturning: a final event: an unfortunate conclusion: a calamity.—adj. Catastroph′ic—ns. Catas′trophism, the theory in geology that accounts for 'breaks in the succession' by the hypothesis of vast catastrophes—world-wide destruction of floras and faunas, and the sudden introduction or creation of new forms of life, after the forces of nature had sunk into repose; Catas′trophist, a holder of the foregoing, as opposed to the uniformitarian theory. [Gr., kata, down, strephein, to turn.]
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of catastrophe in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of catastrophe in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of catastrophe in a Sentence
This is a symbolic action, using a legal loophole and participants' self-sacrifice to draw attention to the most serious and urgent crisis humanity has ever faced, the government's inaction on climate change, and the looming catastrophe of airport expansion, gives us no choice and compels us to act.
I ask the Saudi Arabian government to take responsibility for this catastrophe and fulfill its legal and Islamic duties in this regard.
Kiev's attempts to exert economic pressure on Donbas (region of east Ukraine) and disrupt its daily life only aggravates the situation. This is a dead-end track, fraught with a big catastrophe.
The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.
I am saddened by the timid response of the world community, world leaders, who should be defenders of the freedom and democracy, where is the outrage against such horrendous, repugnant catastrophe that's happening on our watch ?
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References
Translations for catastrophe
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- كارثة, نكبة, فاجعةArabic
- catàstrofeCatalan, Valencian
- katastrofaCzech
- katastrofeDanish
- Katastrophe, UnglückGerman
- όλεθρος, έκβαση, καταστροφήGreek
- katastrofoEsperanto
- catástrofeSpanish
- فاجعهPersian
- katastrofiFinnish
- catastropheFrench
- catastrófIrish
- तबाहीHindi
- katastwòfHaitian Creole
- katasztrófa, szerencsétlenségHungarian
- katastrofoIdo
- catastrofeItalian
- 大災害Japanese
- კატასტროფაGeorgian
- គ្រោះមហន្តរាយ, មហន្តរាយKhmer
- ದುರಂತKannada
- 대단원Korean
- katastrofeNorwegian
- katastrofeNorwegian Nynorsk
- catástrofePortuguese
- dezastru, catastrofă, deznodământRomanian
- катастрофаRussian
- katastrofSwedish
- ภัยพิบัติThai
- felaketTurkish
- katastrofVolapük
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"catastrophe." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Jul 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/catastrophe>.
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