Etymologically
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catastrophic

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 06:37. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /kætəˈstɹɒfɪk/[1]
  • US: /ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English catastrophe + -ic,[2] though the OED takes it as a borrowing of Ancient Greek καταστροφικός (katastrophikós), from καταστροφή (katastrophḗ, “overturning, sudden turn, conclusion”).[3] The Greek noun comes from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “to overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down”) and στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).[3][2][4] Less common forms are catastrophical and catastrophal.[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of the nature of a catastrophe: Etymonline dates the word to 1824;[2] the OED's first record is from 1837, in Whewell's History of the Inductive Sciences, used especially of the history of the earth or the universe.[3]

Semantic evolution

The word followed catastrophe, which first meant a sudden turn in a play and only from 1748 a sudden disaster.[2] Its early use in the history of the earth survives in the sense "relating to geological catastrophism".[3][7] In American usage it is also applied to an illness or injury that is financially ruinous, with long incapacity and high treatment costs.[5][4]

Timeline

  • 1824 – of the nature of a catastrophe (Etymonline).[2]
  • 1837 – first OED quotation, in Whewell, of the history of the earth.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Causing or involving sudden great damage or suffering; disastrous: a catastrophic flood.[7][5][4]
  2. Extremely unfortunate or unsuccessful: a catastrophic error of judgment.[7]
  3. Of an illness or injury, causing long incapacity and ruinous medical costs.[4][5]
  4. Involving a sudden, large-scale change of state, as in the collapse of a star.[7]
  5. Relating to geological catastrophism.[7][3]

Word family

  • catastrophically
  • supercatastrophic
  • noncatastrophic
  • uncatastrophic

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press