oblivion

noun

obliv·​i·​on ə-ˈbli-vē-ən How to pronounce oblivion (audio)
ō-,
ä-
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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Oblivion and the River Lethe

Oblivion asks forgetfulness of us in both its meaning and etymology. The word’s Latin source, oblīvīscī, means “to forget; to put out of mind,” and since its 14th century adoption into English, oblivion has hewed close to meanings having to do with forgetting. The word has also long had an association with the River Lethe, which according to Greek myth flowed through the Underworld and caused anyone who drank its water to forget their past; 17th century poet John Milton wrote about “Lethe the River of Oblivion” in Paradise Lost. The adjective oblivious (“lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention”) followed oblivion a century later, but not into oblivion—both words have proved obdurate against the erosive currents of time.

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plus, the Russian economy indeed switched to 'war mode,' and the arms industry is now massively manufacturing large quantities of drones, missiles, and bombs to bombard Ukraine into oblivion. Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 The Top 14 singers will perform alongside the trio for one last chance to dazzle the crowd, or risk fading into oblivion. Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 19 May 2025 Luis thinks for a second, then takes off after them, joining the travelers on a dangerous flight into oblivion with no road back. Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2025 Harris is already considering making some changes in an attempt to counteract the prowess of the career Grand Slam winner and a select group of other pros who can bomb it into oblivion. Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for oblivion

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oblivioun, borrowed from Anglo-French oblivion, obliviun, borrowed from Latin oblīviōn-, oblīviō "state of forgetting, dismissal from the memory," from oblīv-, stem of oblīvīscī "to forget, put out of mind" (from ob- "toward, facing" + -līvīscī, inchoative derivative of a stem līv- of uncertain meaning and origin) + -iōn-, -iō, suffix of action nouns formed from compound verbs — more at ob-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oblivion was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Oblivion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblivion. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

oblivion

noun
obliv·​i·​on ə-ˈbliv-ē-ən How to pronounce oblivion (audio)
ō-,
ä-
1
: the state of forgetting or having forgotten or of being unaware or unconscious
2
: the state of being forgotten

More from Merriam-Webster on oblivion

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