Cataclysm
noun /ˈkæt.ə.klɪz.əm/ — A sudden violent upheaval that causes great change
Definition
A sudden, violent physical or social disruption that produces massive change and destruction — an event so large that it divides history into before and after.
Beyond the definition
The event that makes everything that follows look different. A cataclysm is not just disaster — it is reorganisation by force.
Origin & history
From Greek 'kataklysmos' (deluge, flood) — from 'kataklyzein' (to flood) — 'kata' (down) + 'klyzein' (to wash). The great flood that changes everything by washing it away.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The extinction of the dinosaurs was a cataclysm triggered by an asteroid the size of a city.
War is a political cataclysm: even when the buildings survive, the world that existed before it doesn't.
Some cataclysms are slow — cultural, economic — and only recognisable as such in retrospect.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Cataclysm” when the meaning fits your context: A sudden, violent physical or social disruption that produces massive change and destruction — an event so large that it divides history into before and after.
Synonyms
catastrophe, upheaval, disaster, convulsion, holocaust
Antonyms
stability, continuity, peace
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Cataclysm" mean?
Cataclysm is noun meaning: A sudden violent upheaval that causes great change. A sudden, violent physical or social disruption that produces massive change and destruction — an event so large that it divides history into before and after.
Where does the word "Cataclysm" come from?
From Greek 'kataklysmos' (deluge, flood) — from 'kataklyzein' (to flood) — 'kata' (down) + 'klyzein' (to wash). The great flood that changes everything by washing it away.