Added 9 October 2026
disaster
/dɪˈzɑːs.təː/ noun
In Latin: calamitās, clādēs Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about disaster at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune.
lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system
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An event resulting in great loss and misfortune.
the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity
- An act that has disastrous consequences.
Origin
From Middle French desastre, from Italian disastro, from dis- + astro (“star”), from Latin astrum (“star”), from Ancient Greek ἄστρον (ástron, “star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)