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  Apocalypse

  noun

  Bible (in the Vulgate and Douay versions of the Bible) the Book of Revelation

apocalypse

American  

[uh-pok-uh-lips] / əˈpɒk ə lɪps /

noun

• apocalypses
  plural

1. 1. a prophecy or revelation, especially regarding a final cataclysmic battle between good and evil.

   2. the apocalypse, in some belief systems, a final cataclysmic battle of this kind, in which evil is defeated and the present age brought to a close.

      According to traditional evangelical teaching, the apocalypse will begin with a time of persecution.

   3. the apocalypse, the end of civilization; the complete destruction or collapse of the world as we know it (sometimes used facetiously).

      On both ends of the political spectrum, visions of the apocalypse and predictions of doom abound.

      We thought this recession might be the apocalypse, and sales would go down to 1 percent.

2. any universal or widespread destruction or disaster.

   If humanity is to avoid a nuclear apocalypse, a whole new level of international cooperation is urgently required.

3. Apocalypse. Revelation.

4. any piece of literature belonging to a genre of Jewish or Christian writings that appeared from about 200 b.c. to the late Middle Ages and were assumed to reveal God’s ultimate purpose.

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apocalypse ¹ British  

/ əˈpɒkəlɪps /

noun

1. a prophetic disclosure or revelation

2. an event of great importance, violence, etc, like the events described in the Apocalypse

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Apocalypse ² British  

/ əˈpɒkəlɪps /

noun

1. Bible (in the Vulgate and Douay versions of the Bible) the Book of Revelation

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Apocalypse Cultural  

1. Another name for the New Testament Book of Revelation; from the Greek word for “revelation.”

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Discover More

An “apocalypse” is a final catastrophe.

The Apocalypse is supposed to come at the end of the world or of time.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• apocalypses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of apocalypse

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Late Latin apocalypsis, from Greek apokálypsis “revelation,” from apokalýp(tein) “to uncover, reveal” (from apo- apo- + kalýptein “to cover, conceal”; cf. eucalyptus) + -sis -sis

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Explanation

Apocalypse is a word that means "the end of the world" — or something so destructive it seems like the world has ended, like the event of a major earthquake. The apocalypse is the total destruction of the world, as prophesied in the Biblical book of Revelation. Apocalypse can be used to describe utter destruction caused by war or natural disaster. The nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima during World War II can be called an apocalypse because the devastation was so severe and so many lives were lost.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apocalypse Apocalypse apocalypses

The software apocalypse never came and the sector is enjoying a stellar recovery.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

In Palangkaraya, people are growing desperate for an end to this apocalypse.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

One theory describes an almost complete apocalypse, with human populations abruptly disappearing from areas closest to the eruption.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

There are four horsemen of the financial apocalypse: income, spending, debt and savings.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

There’s no such thing as a zombie apocalypse, he told himself, but his heart didn’t get the message and started to pound.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Her acting breakthrough came on the TV show The Newsroom, before starring roles in movies such as X-Men: Apocalypse and The Predator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

In 1979, Duvall gave perhaps his most memorable performance as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in Coppola's Vietnam war epic Apocalypse Now.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

Apocalypse BBQ – What began as a side hustle at the start of the pandemic, Apocalypse BBQ brings Caribbean and South American flavors to the world of barbecue.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

I’m in development hell, but if Coppola could fight for a decade to make Apocalypse Now, I can stand by Endier Game for another half-hour.

From Barron's ● Dec. 12, 2025

While at the heart of Beethoven’s symphony lies a vision of a better civilisation led by a benign deity, Berlioz, a life-long atheist, attempts to evoke the Apocalypse and Final Judgement in sound.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

The game has no guns, no Marios, no apocalypses.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023

Burns and his co-showrunner, Dorothy Fortenberry, argue that film and TV have their own version of the same problem: Climate apocalypses create immediate drama and character-level tension.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 17, 2023

And apocalypses tend to force children to grow up faster, rather than slower.

From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2023

But apocalypses, rock bottoms of various kinds, can also be endings and beginnings at once.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2022

Another prolific source of apocryphal gospels, acts and apocalypses was Gnosticism.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various

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Related Words

• annihilation
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• devastation

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