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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 is a satire about an impending climate change apocalypse that’s triggered by the drilling operations of oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, played by Cruise, who looks nearly unrecognizable clad in prosthetics and greying hair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Inside Berkeley’s tallest office building, a small community of AI researchers has been mobilizing to save the world from apocalypse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

The Traitors castle should be a cakewalk compared with the apocalypse or the Battle of Winterfell, right?

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Artificial intelligence is pitched as a potential economic powerhouse—and also a potential bringer of the apocalypse.

From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026

It spiked in shafts through the apocalypse of smoke and dust as the citadel’s new center of gravity readjusted to the three remaining supports.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Duvall was known for numerous tough-guy roles over an impressive six-decade career, such as the mafia consigliere in The Godfather and the forceful army officer in Apocalypse Now.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

Angel Nail Salon, just 10 minutes from Apocalypse BBQ, offers hair and nail services at a great price point, making it an ideal stop for manicures, pedicures, or even a blowout before a night out.

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

Christian mystics devoted much energy to deciphering the number 666, said by John the Apostle to designate the name of the Beast of the Apocalypse, the Antichrist.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

But, far more often, I found that apocalypses brought out people’s creativity and determination.

From Slate ● May 14, 2025

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

"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