Word
apocalypse
Phoneticsapoc·a·lypse
US/əˈpɑkəˌɫɪps/
UK/ɐpˈɒkɐlˌɪps/
Definitions
01a massive disaster
n. a very large and terrible event that causes total destruction or ruin.
n. a cataclysmic event of great scope and scale, often resulting in the collapse of society or the environment.
“The film shows a city trying to survive after a nuclear apocalypse.”
“Environmental scientists warned that the continued loss of biodiversity could lead to an ecological apocalypse within the century.”
Synonyms
02the end of the world
n. the final destruction of the world, often as described in religious books.
n. the ultimate destruction of the world or the end of life on Earth, specifically as prophesied in religious eschatology.
“Many ancient cultures had stories about a coming apocalypse.”
“The preacher spoke of the coming apocalypse, citing various signs and portents that he believed heralded the final judgment.”
Formal
Synonyms
03the Book of Revelation
n. the last book of the Bible, which describes the end of the world.
n. the final book of the New Testament, also known as the Revelation of St. John the Divine.
“The artist painted scenes inspired by the imagery in the Apocalypse.”
“Scholars have long debated the symbolic meaning of the four horsemen described in the Apocalypse.”
Formal · Technical
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Some experts doubt that the technology will become so intelligent as to cause the apocalypse.” “It says out-of-control AI will lead to the apocalypse, with the dire warning coming from an Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, who quit the company fearing the tech arms race is moving too quickly.” Etymology
Proprialization from apocalypse, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἀποκάλυψις (apokálupsis, “revelation”). The translation decisions, from the original Greek to the conventional English choices Revelation and Apocalypse, are covered by Wikipedia at Book of Revelation § Title, authorship, and date.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/apocalypse