Definitions for catastrophe
kəˈtæs trə ficatas·tro·phe

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes

1. 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"

2. 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"

3. catastrophe, cataclysmnoun

   a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. catastrophenoun

   Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

2. catastrophenoun

   A disaster beyond expectations

3. catastrophenoun

   The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot in a tragedy.

4. catastrophenoun

   A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

5. Etymology: From καταστροφή, from καταστρέφω, from κατά + στρέφω

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Catastrophenoun

   Etymology: ϰαταστϱοφὴ.

   1. The change or revolution, which produces the conclusion or final event of a dramatick piece.

   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.

   2. A final event; a conclusion generally unhappy.

   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.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. Etymology: [L. catastropha, Gr. , fr. to turn up and down, to overturn; kata` down + to turn.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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

1. • Adversity
   • Geological Phenomenon
   • Misfortune

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce catastrophe?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say catastrophe in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of catastrophe in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of catastrophe in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of catastrophe in a Sentence

1. Luise Neumann-Cosel:

   We are on course for a catastrophe, we are in a car and we are driving at 250 km per hour toward an abyss... We need fewer cars.

2. Tom Digenan:

   We're not pricing in dramatic risk from Greece, but the fear is that if Greece leaves the euro zone, that would just be the first domino to fall in a catastrophe.

3. Vladimir Putin:

   Ramping up military hysteria will lead to nothing good. It could lead to a global catastrophe, there’s no other path apart from a peaceful one.

4. Tom Andrews:

   It staggers the imagination as to what will be happening just really over the next few days, this thing is out of control, this is a complete catastrophe. The entire health care system is in shambles. The number of people being infected is just going through the roof, and no one trusts this junta to provide them with information or health care or vaccines that they need to confront this pandemic.

5. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy:

   All entries and exits from the city of Mariupol are blocked, the port is mined. A humanitarian catastrophe inside the city is unequivocal, because it is impossible to go there with food, medicine and water.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=catastrophe
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Catastrophe
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=catastrophe
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catastrophe
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=catastrophe
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=catastrophe
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=catastrophe