oblivion

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noun obliv·i·on \ ə-ˈbli-vē-ən , ō- , ä- \

Definition of oblivion

1 :the fact or condition of not remembering :a state marked by lack of awareness or consciousness

seeking the oblivion of sleep

drank herself into oblivion

2 :the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown

contentedly accepted his political oblivion

… took the Huskers from oblivion to glory — and their two national championships …
—D. S. Looney

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Examples of oblivion in a Sentence

The technology is destined for oblivion.
The names of the people who lived here long ago have faded into oblivion.
His theories have faded into scientific oblivion.
Her work was rescued from oblivion when it was rediscovered in the early 1900s.
After being awake for three days straight, he longed for the oblivion of sleep.
She drank herself into oblivion.
The little village was bulldozed into oblivion to make way for the airport.

Recent Examples of oblivion from the Web

And some person (Bruce Rondon?) coming from oblivion to take over the bullpen.

— jamie samuelsen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers future hinges on Al Avila's Justin Verlander quandary," 6 July 2017
And now, the only solid memorial of his life is slowly sinking into oblivion.

— meaghanm. mcdermott, USA TODAY, "As cemeteries struggle, gravestones sink into oblivion," 3 July 2017
Kosinski and Cruise previously worked together on the 2013 sci-fi drama Oblivion.

— derek lawrence, PEOPLE.com, "Top Gun 2 Lands Director and Release Date," 1 July 2017
Instead Jackson, who at bare minimum was expected to steering this franchise clear of utter oblivion—did the opposite, running them further into the ground.

— nathaniel friedman, GQ, "What Firing Phil Jackson Means for the Knicks," 28 June 2017
Another golf course in Broward County is a step closer to oblivion.

— larry barszewski, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Failing Broward golf course giving way to development," 22 June 2017
But Republican Karen Handel won, by 3.8 points, blowing these story lines into oblivion.

— karl rove, WSJ, "The GOP’s Narrow Escape in Georgia," 21 June 2017
Either way, by virtue of the newest Switch update out now, your oh-so-clever Nintendo games console can finally rescue your MIA Joy-Cons from household oblivion.

— matt peckham, Time, "The Nintendo Switch Can Find Your Lost Joy-Cons," 20 June 2017
Emily Michot emichot@miamiherald.com South Florida was once lush with wild orchids growing on oak and mahogany trees, but habitat loss and orchid poaching depleted the species into near oblivion.

— samantha j. gross, miamiherald, "Rare orchids are coming back to Miami Beach. 20,000 of them.," 16 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

Oblivion was derived via Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin oblivisci, which means "to forget." This form may have stemmed from combining ob- ("in the way") and levis ("smooth"). In the past, oblivion has been used in reference to the River Lethe, which according to Greek myth flowed through the Underworld and induced a state of forgetfulness in anyone who drank its water. Among those who have used the word this way is the poet John Milton, who wrote in Paradise Lost, "Farr off from these a slow and silent stream, Lethe the River of Oblivion roules Her watrie Labyrinth."

Origin and Etymology of oblivion

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oblivion-, oblivio, from oblivisci to forget, perhaps from ob- in the way + levis smooth — more at ob-, levigate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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oblivion Synonyms

Synonyms

forgetfulness, nirvana, obliviousness

Related Words

ignorance, incognizance, innocence, insensibility, nescience, unawareness, unconsciousness, unfamiliarity; amnesia, blindness; absentmindedness, absorption, abstraction, inattention, inattentiveness, preoccupation

Near Antonyms

memory, recall, recollection, remembrance; alertness, awareness, cognizance, consciousness

OBLIVION Defined for English Language Learners

oblivion

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noun

Definition of oblivion for English Language Learners

: the state of something that is not remembered, used, or thought about any more
: the state of being unconscious or unaware : the state of not knowing what is going on around you
: the state of being destroyed