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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

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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

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

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

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

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

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

They seem to want us to believe that they no longer want to “move fast and break things” but will instead stand as vigilant guardians between humanity and a technological apocalypse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

I’d been ready to let the world end, prepared to sit back and wait for the apocalypse.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

This is either the future or the Apocalypse has arrived.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95, according to US news reports.

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

All I know about Apocalypse Now is that it’s about Vietnam.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Yes, the details of the apocalypses I’ve researched throughout history can be tragic, and sometimes horrifying.

From Slate ● May 14, 2025

"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

They weave climate apocalypses, time travel and virtual reality with Yoruba mythology, Amazonian deforestation and ayahuasca-inspired psychedelic plants.

From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 2023

Abstruse speculations contain vertigo; no, there is nothing to indicate that he risked his mind in apocalypses.

From Les Misérables by Isabel Florence Hapgood

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Related Words

• annihilation
• cataclysm
• catastrophe
• devastation

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