Word of the Day: Apocalypse

By Maeve Maddox

background image 427

Apocalypse [ə-pŏk’ə-lĭps’], with the definite article, means “the end of the world.” Apocalyptic writings–prophecies of the end of the world couched in symbolic language–were a popular genre with Jewish and early Christian writers between 200 B.C.E. and C.E. 150. The best known is the Revelation of St. John in the Christian New Testament.

“Apocalyptic [themes] emphasize a certain sense of futility and human frailty in response to forces seeming supernatural or otherwise out of human control,” says John Grayson Nichols, director of film studies at Christopher Newport University in Newport, Va. (Chicago Tribune)


Many historians trace the apocalyptic world view back to the Persian prophet Zoroaster, who spoke of a cosmic battle between good and evil ending in a new, perfect world for humanity. The Zoroastrian tradition survives today in Iran and as the basis of Parsiism in India. (pbs.org)

Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily!

Keep learning! Browse the Word of the Day category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:


1 Response to “Word of the Day: Apocalypse”

  • Jason

    I hope this will help some people.

Leave a comment: