holocaust

noun

ho·​lo·​caust ˈhō-lə-ˌkȯst 

ˈhä-,

 also  -ˌkäst,

 or  ˈhȯ-lə-kȯst

1

: a sacrifice (see sacrifice entry 1 sense 2) consumed by fire

2

: a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire

a nuclear holocaust

3

a

usually the Holocaust : the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II

Several members of her family died in the Holocaust.

a Holocaust survivor

b

: a mass slaughter of people

especially : genocide

a holocaust in Rwanda

Synonyms

• conflagration
• fire
• inferno

Examples of holocaust in a Sentence

The museum is devoted to the Holocaust.

There were fears of a nuclear holocaust.

Recent Examples on the Web

The three filmmakers operated independently of one another, each driven by personal reasons to contemplate the unimaginable at a time when a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union made nuclear holocaust seem inevitable. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023

Moore asked the audience, which included Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers Laura Poitras, Roger Ross Williams and Errol Morris, to take a moment of silence and pledge to make sure the holocaust never happens again. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023

One wonders what those worthless nincompoops would have done during the Nazi holocaust that murdered upward of seven million Jews, and over seven million more victims besides. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 26 Oct. 2023

Nuclear dread and resistance was being replaced by passive acceptance of potential atomic holocaust. —WIRED, 22 Oct. 2023

In the film, where Peter Sellers plays several roles, an insane American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Sep. 2023

Before his duplicity can produce the kind of frank discussion that might deepen their relationship, NOMAD shows up, Maya disappears and there’s nothing for Joshua to do but go back to L.A. and lament the dearth of good sushi restaurants in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023

Social studies teacher Jeremy Brown teaches a class about holocausts and genocides at Oakman High School in Walker County. —Alaina Bookman | [e-mail], al, 15 Sep. 2023

That correction could, according to his paper, drop the population to no more than 3 billion and as few as 100 million—all barring, of course, a nuclear holocaust that could bring even more catastrophic consequences. —Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 21 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin holocaustum, from Greek holokauston, from neuter of holokaustos burnt whole, from hol- + kaustos burnt, from kaiein to burn — more at caustic

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

holocaust

noun

ho·​lo·​caust ˈhō-lə-ˌkȯst 

ˈhäl-ə-,

 also  -ˌkäst,

 or  ˈhȯ-lə-ˌkȯst

1

: a sacrifice destroyed by fire

2

: a thorough destruction especially by fire

3

a

often capitalized : the killing of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II

b

: genocide