Definition of apocalypse
plural apocalypses
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
2 a
: something viewed as a prophetic revelation
b
: armageddon
3 a
: a large, disastrous fire : inferno
- Most foresters agree that small, "prescribed" burns, carefully controlled, are essential to prevent the larger apocalypse.
- —Lance Morrow
b
: a great disaster
- an environmental apocalypse
