Pandemonium
collective noun /ˌpændɪˈmoʊniəm/ — What you call a group of parrots — and honestly, what else would you call them.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of parrots — and also a common word for wild chaos or uproar. Both meanings describe the same energy.
Beyond the definition
Pandemonium is the collective noun that perfectly explains itself. Anyone who has been near a flock of parrots knows: the noise, the colour, the sheer anarchic energy. The word and the animal are perfectly matched.
Origin & history
Coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667) — Pandaemonium was the capital city of Hell (Greek pan- 'all' + daimon 'demon'). The collective noun sense followed: a group loud and chaotic enough to evoke the underworld.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A pandemonium of parrots erupted from the canopy when the branch fell.
The boardroom descended into pandemonium within minutes of the announcement.
Pandemonium is the rare collective noun that tells you exactly what it's describing.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Pandemonium” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of parrots — and also a common word for wild chaos or uproar. Both meanings describe the same energy.
Synonyms
chaos, uproar, tumult, bedlam, commotion, cacophony
Antonyms
silence, order, calm
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
A pandemonium of parrots
A flock of parrots perched together in tree branches.
Here, “pandemonium” names the whole gathering. Notice the animals together rather than looking for one individual with that name. The photograph illustrates the group; it is not evidence that this particular scene inspired the expression.
Image credit: Harvinder Chandigarh · CC BY-SA 4.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.
Questions about this word
What does "Pandemonium" mean?
Pandemonium is collective noun meaning: What you call a group of parrots — and honestly, what else would you call them.. The collective noun for a group of parrots — and also a common word for wild chaos or uproar. Both meanings describe the same energy.
Where does the word "Pandemonium" come from?
Coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667) — Pandaemonium was the capital city of Hell (Greek pan- 'all' + daimon 'demon'). The collective noun sense followed: a group loud and chaotic enough to evoke the underworld.