Definition of chaos
2a often capitalized : a state of things in which chance is supreme; especially : the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms — compare cosmosb : the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (such as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)
3a : a state of utter confusion the blackout caused chaos throughout the cityb : a confused mass or mixture a chaos of television antennas
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Examples of chaos in a Sentence
The loss of electricity caused chaos throughout the city.
When the police arrived, the street was in total chaos.
The country had descended into economic chaos.
Recent Examples of chaos from the Web
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Despite several initially contradictory accounts of the chaos, what is known so far appears to back up that claim.
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Amid the horror and chaos, Simpson said, Tschaggeny removed the ring from Best’s finger and stole his backpack.
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The chaos on the Palmetto Expressway happened only about three hours after two shooting deaths on Miami Beach late Sunday night.
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In a video posted to Facebook on Sunday, Gibson condemned Christian and said antifa protesters were trying to incite chaos at the upcoming rally by exploiting the attacks on the train.
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But then on Saturday morning, a brief power surge knocked out British Airways’ communications systems grounding the carrier’s entire London operations, leading to days of chaos and putting the new chief executive officer in the hot seat.
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As Verona descends into mournful chaos, Rosaline is ordered, along with Romeo's cousin Benvolio, to make a politically motivated sacrifice.
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Poverty and chaos multiply abroad, where the sun and the heat fuel a sense that the center cannot hold, that things are indeed falling apart.
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The Justice Department made the announcement Wednesday at 6 p.m., following 10 days of political chaos and scandal that has shaken the already fragile administration of President Donald Trump.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chaos'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of chaos
Latin, from Greek — more at gum
CHAOS Defined for English Language Learners
chaos
playDefinition of chaos for English Language Learners
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: complete confusion and disorder : a state in which behavior and events are not controlled by anything
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: the state of the universe before there was any order and before stars and planets were formed
CHAOS Defined for Kids
Learn More about chaos
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chaos Spanish Central: Translation of chaos Nglish: Translation of chaos for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of chaos for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chaos
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