national disaster

American  

[nash-uhn-uhl-di-zas-ter] / ˈnæʃ ən əl dɪˈzæs tər /

noun

national disasters plural

1. a disaster, especially a natural disaster, such as a flood, hurricane, or earthquake, that affects a large portion of a nation or requires the resources and powers of a national government to address it.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• national disasters
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

national disaster

The Venezuelan government, meanwhile, has posted numbers for the general public to call, but information has been limited in the wake of such a devastating national disaster.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

But its endless expanses have been swept by panic since an outbreak of highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, which was declared a national disaster in February.

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

Extreme weather has lashed North Sumatra for several days, flooding parts of the Tapanuli Selatan district since Monday, according to the national disaster agency, BNPB.

From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025

"You try to take a Murray mint off a pensioner - uproar. But we've closed thousands of youth clubs. It's a national disaster."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

Uncorrected evil multiplies itself, and the sum is a huge national disaster.

From Women's Wild Oats Essays on the Re-fixing of Moral Standards by Hartley, C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine)