Word
oblivion
Phoneticsobliv·ion
US/əˈbɫɪviən/
UK/əblˈɪviən/
Definitions
01being forgotten
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Literary
n. the state of being completely forgotten by the public or by history.
n. the state of being forgotten or unknown to the public; a condition of total obscurity or non-existence in memory.
“The once-famous singer lived the rest of his life in total oblivion.”
“Many revolutionary technologies of the nineteenth century have since faded into oblivion, replaced by more efficient modern alternatives.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02unconsciousness
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary
n. a state where you are not aware of anything, often because of sleep, drugs, or alcohol.
n. a state of being unaware or unconscious, typically induced by sleep, intoxication, or medical conditions.
“He drank until he reached a state of blissful oblivion.”
“After the exhausting climb, she collapsed onto her bed and sank into the oblivion of a deep, dreamless sleep.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03amnesty
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Archaic · Formal
n. an official act of forgetting or forgiving past crimes or mistakes.
n. an official oversight or pardon of past offences; a legal act of forgetting.
“The king granted an act of oblivion to those who had fought against him.”
“The treaty included an act of oblivion, ensuring that no citizen would be prosecuted for political actions taken during the civil war.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Symbolically, it may be deemed a bit on the nose: two people near the end of their lives, moving gently towards the white light of oblivion.” “She argues for privacy, or what she more accurately terms “oblivion,” as not just freedom from surveillance but a positive, albeit essentially unknowable value—a place where true human depth and personality reside.” “A new study, published this month in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that some things can be intentionally relegated to oblivion, although the method for doing so is slightly counterintuitive.” “If it’s oblivion that you are expecting when you die, there will be no need for grief.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English oblivion, from Anglo-Norman oblivion, from Latin oblīviō (“forgetfulness”), from oblīvīscor (“to forget”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
The word in film
Oblivion · 2013 · Sci-Fi
- Directed by:
- Joseph Kosinski
- Starring:
- Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo
Tom Cruise stars in this futuristic sci-fi adventure about a drone repairman working on a nearly empty Earth. The title describes a world where human history has been almost entirely erased and forgotten after a devastating war.
In Music
Cover shown under fair use for identification and commentary.
Oblivion · 2012 · Dream pop
- Artist:
- Grimes
- Album:
- Visions
Canadian artist Grimes released this dream pop track in 2012 as part of her album Visions. The title refers to a state of being unaware or forgotten, capturing a feeling of vulnerability and the desire to hide from the world. It uses the word to describe the dark, empty space one enters when trying to escape a difficult reality.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/oblivion