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  apocalypse
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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

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

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 film got three stars from Tim Robey, external at The Telegraph, who notes the film's "action interludes are more nonsensical than scary" and "provide momentary dumb fun when Scott's campfire apocalypse needs waking up".

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Her plucky Annie Clay dominates the first episode, “Graceland,” riding out a worldwide apocalypse in Elvis’ mansion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

These odd phenomena convinced ancient cultures that eclipses were signs of the apocalypse -- or messages from the gods.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Argentine ranch where tech CEOs plan to ride out the apocalypse.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

It might be so bad that every one of our atoms would be torn apart during the apocalypse.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Although Los Angeles has pushed to get a residential curbside bin program in place — recall the “Great Green Bin Apocalypse of 2025” — it has struggled to get people to comply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Appeared in the June 6, 2026, print edition as 'The Jobs Apocalypse Will Have to Wait'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

His many other roles included a mafia consigliere in The Godfather, a bombastic army officer in Apocalypse Now, and a Texas Ranger-turned-cattle driver in Lonesome Dove.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

The menu feels comfortingly familiar—smoked brisket, wings, pulled pork, sausage, and all the sides you’d expect—but it’s the sauces that really deliver the flavors Apocalypse is celebrating.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

It was probably too much to hope for the Apocalypse.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

"America is an infant," a French survivor says, "but here, we survived many apocalypses."

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2023

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

Or if not “better” exactly, then far more hopeful than TV’s other apocalypses, from “The Walking Dead” to “Y: The Last Man,” would have led you to expect.

From New York Times ● Dec. 15, 2021

"There is a sort of orthodoxy that revels in the visions of apocalypses and refuses to fight the beast," says Dr. Nurgan.

From The World's Great Sermons, Volume 10 Drummond to Jowett, and General Index by Grenville Kleiser

Related Words

• annihilation
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• devastation