Just as disaster can range from a calamitous event to one that is merely unsuccessful, catastrophe can refer to what is truly devastating as well as to what is simply deeply …

CATASTROPHE meaning: 1. a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction: 2. a bad situation: 3. a sudden…. Learn more.

catastrophe (kəˈtæstrəfɪ) n 1. a sudden, extensive, or notable disaster or misfortune

A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage. From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe. ...the economic and environmental catastrophe that the oil …

Definition of catastrophe noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

catastrophe, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

Nov 1, 2025 · catastrophe (countable and uncountable, plural catastrophes) Any large and disastrous event of great significance. quotations The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophe.

CATASTROPHE definition: a sudden and widespread disaster. See examples of catastrophe used in a sentence.

Ruins from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, …

Catastrophe comes from a Greek word meaning "overturn." It originally referred to the disastrous finish of a drama, usually a tragedy. The definition was extended to mean "any sudden …