natural disaster

American  

[nach-er-uhl-di-zas-ter] / ˈnætʃ ər əl dɪˈzæs tər /

noun

natural disasters plural

1. a sudden, severe event in nature, such as a flood, earthquake, wildfire, etc., especially one that causes widespread damage and harm.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• natural disasters
  plural

Example Sentences

Cyclone Senyar ravaged Sumatra in late November, killing more than 1,000 people in Southeast Asia's deadliest natural disaster for 2025.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

In most U.S. states, Indiana included, when a healthy tree falls onto a neighbor’s property during a storm or other natural disaster, each property owner is responsible for the damage on their own land.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

It really makes clear that the responsibility for fixing a natural disaster is mostly going to fall on the states.

From Slate • May 21, 2026

If, god forbid, there’s a natural disaster in L.A. in the near future, Jena Malone might be one of your first responders.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

I felt myself to be among the survivors of some great natural disaster, some plague, some avalanche or earthquake.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates