calamity

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /kəˈlæmɪti/ See IPA manual

noun Freq #14666

Meanings

1

noun
An event that causes great harm, loss, or suffering; a disaster.

The flood was the worst calamity the region had seen in a century.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an event that causes great... disaster

Word family

Forms calamities

Derived forms calamitistfiscalamity

Related forms calamitous calamitously

Etymology

From Middle French calamité, from Latin calamitās (“loss, damage; disaster”).

*kelh₂- Proto-Indo-European calamité Middle French calamitās Latin

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Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

# calamity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** kəˈlæmɪti
**Frequency rank:** 14666

## Meanings
1. An event that causes great harm, loss, or suffering; a disaster.

## Examples
- The flood was the worst calamity the region had seen in a century.

## Derived Forms
- calamitist
- fiscalamity

## Related Forms
- calamitous
- calamitously

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kelh₂-
- Root: calamité
- Root: calamitās

## Etymology
From Middle French calamité, from Latin calamitās (“loss, damage; disaster”).

## AI Etymology
Calamity is from Middle French calamité, from Latin calamitās (“loss, damage; disaster”). Important recorded forms include *kelh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), calamité (Middle French), and calamitās (Latin). Current senses include an event that causes great harm, loss, or suffering; a disaster. The wider family includes derived forms such as calamitist and fiscalamity; related words such as calamitous and calamitously.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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calamity

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