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

And it has put pressure on the government, less than a year after ministers acknowledged the scale of the issue and declared gender-based violence a national disaster.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Announcing the move last November, Minister of Social Development Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe said treating the issue as a national disaster would help the government tackle the crisis.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Volunteer Dave Shaw believes the incident is a "national disaster"

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The country's national disaster agency said reports of casualties were "still being verified".

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

But, on the other hand, as we have remarked, the seeds of the present Liberal party were sown during this same period of national disaster, and that, too, by the royal hand.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 3, September 1864 Devoted To Literature And National Policy by Various