ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cassandra

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //kəˈsændɹə// cas·san·dra

n. someone who predicts that something bad will happen but is not believed by others. Even if their warnings are correct, people usually ignore them.

n. a person who prophesies disaster or misfortune but whose warnings are disregarded. Derived from the figure in Greek mythology who was cursed to speak true prophecies that no one would believe.


SIMPLE

The economist was a lonely cassandra before the market crashed.

CONTEXTUAL

Environmental scientists often feel like a collective cassandra, issuing urgent warnings about climate change that politicians choose to ignore.

COMPLEX

History eventually vindicated her as a modern cassandra, though her contemporary critics had dismissed her dire predictions about the housing bubble as mere alarmism.

Origin

From Ancient Greek Κασσάνδρα (Kassándra).

Usage

Often used as a common noun, though it originates from a proper name; frequently appears in political or economic commentary.

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