apocalypse

play

noun apoc·a·lypse \ ə-ˈpä-kə-ˌlips \

Definition of apocalypse

1 a :one of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 b.c. to a.d. 150 marked by pseudonymity, symbolic imagery, and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom

b capitalized :revelation 3

2 a :something viewed as a prophetic revelation

b :armageddon

3 :a great disaster

an environmental apocalypse

See apocalypse defined for English-language learners

Examples of apocalypse in a Sentence

His book tells of an environmental apocalypse.
the fear that the next global pandemic could be an apocalypse of biblical proportions

Recent Examples of apocalypse from the Web

Into the eye of this apocalypse rode cops, wildlife officers, everyday Joes or Janes with little more than some gumption and a Mercury outboard motor, and, yes, an army of journalists.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "The day the 'enemies of the American people' helped save America | Will Bunch," 29 Aug. 2017
Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Three weeks ahead of the coming apocalypse, Matthew Heimbach knew that violence was a real possibility in Charlottesville, Va.

— robert king, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana white nationalist called 'the next David Duke' isn't stopping with Charlottesville," 27 Aug. 2017
If there is indeed a retail apocalypse underway, nobody told The Home Depot (hd, +0.14%).

— phil wahba, Fortune, "Home Depot Reports Highest Sales In Its History," 15 Aug. 2017
The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions by Peter Brannen.

— andrea gawrylewski, Scientific American, "Bug Lovers, Earth’s Many Apocalypses, the Surprising Minds of Vegetative Patients and Other New Science Books," 3 July 2017
But there are others who readily acknowledge that climate change is real, manmade, and a grave problem, but also point out that not every assertion about the potential for a climate apocalypse is always true.

— robert d. atkinson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Can we restore civility to Washington policy debates?," 29 June 2017
So the L-train apocalypse might end up being a good test case?

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "What Is Wrong With the MTA — and Can It Be Fixed?," 29 June 2017
Owens has a messianic ability to message hope in humanity in the midst of the apocalypse.

— Vogue, "Aloha! À Bientôt! Vogue Editors React to Paris’s Spring 2018 Menswear Shows," 26 June 2017
Zaikin and Weisberg’s daily news digest is either a pioneering model for the future of news or a harbinger of the apocalypse.

— time staff, Time, "The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apocalypse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of apocalypse

Middle English, revelation, Revelation, from Anglo-French apocalipse, from Late Latin apocalypsis, from Greek apokalypsis, from apokalyptein to uncover, from apo- + kalyptein to cover — more at hell

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year