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apocalyptic, a.|əˌpɒkəˈlɪptɪk|
[ad. Gr. ἀποκαλυπτικός of the nature of revelation, f. ἀποκαλύπτειν: see apocalypse and -ic.]
A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to the ‘Revelation’ of St. John. apocalyptic number: see Rev. xiii. 18.
1663J. Spencer Prodigies 314 The Apocalyptick Angel which should pour out one of the Vials upon the Beast. a1711Ken Edmund Poet. Wks. 1721 II. 104 A Babylonian purple Robe he wore, Like that of the apocalyptick whore. 1859Masson Milton I. 481 Meade was at the head of the Apocalyptic commentators.
2. Of the nature of a revelation or disclosure; revelatory, prophetic.
1683E. Hooker Pref. Pordage's Myst. Div. 66 This veri waie of Apocalyptic Manifestation. 1859Masson Brit. Novelists iv. 289 Interpretative of all around and apocalyptic of all beyond, the vision of his beatified Beatrice. 1880Swinburne Stud. Shaks. i. 4 The recognition of the apocalyptic fact that a workman can only be known by his work. 1950Economist 14 Jan. 57/2 The apocalyptic promises of Communism can be met by the sober reality of rising standards of living. 1955Times 18 July 7/5 It would be foolish, even dangerous to work oneself up into a frenzy of apocalyptic fervour.
†3. Of persons: Dealing with the Apocalypse or with prophetic revelations generally; apocalyptical.
1667E. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. Introd. 3 Without consulting our Astrologers or apocalyptic men. c1690South Serm. V. ii. (R.) That some apocalyptick ignoramus or other must presently..pick it out of some abused, martyred prophecy of Ezechiel.
B. n.
1. The writer or recorder of the Apocalypse, St. John the Divine; also = apocalypst.
1629Lightfoot Misc. 107 (T.) The divine apocalyptick, writing after Jerusalem was ruined. 1872De Morgan Budg. Paradoxes 292 If the cyclometers and the apocalyptics would lay their heads together.
2. Apocalyptic teaching, philosophy, or literature.
1898R. H. Charles in Hastings Dict. Bible I. 109/2 Prophecy and Apocalyptic..both claim to be a communication through the Divine Spirit of the character and will and purposes of God. 1940Scrutiny IX. 286 A periodical which has previously discussed the problems of the relation between culture and the coming social-economic revolution mainly in terms of the crudest Marxian apocalyptic. 1957Oxf. Dict. Chr. Ch. 67/2 In the NT, the element of Apocalyptic appears in various places.
▸ Of, relating to, or characteristic of a disaster resulting in drastic, irreversible damage to human society or the environment, esp. on a global scale; cataclysmic. Also in weakened use. Cf. apocalypse n. Additions.
1918F. J. C. Hearnshaw Democracy at Crossways 2 Among the apocalyptic events four stand pre-eminent. They are (1) the Russian Revolution of March; (2) the entry of America into the War; [etc.]. 1943R. Lowell in I. Hamilton Robert Lowell (1982) 88 The razing of Hamburg, where 200,000 non-combatants are reported dead, after an almost apocalyptic series of all-out air-raids. 1970Harper's Mag. Apr. 53/1 The apocalyptic scenario spells itself out rather easily: an indefinite prolongation of the war in Vietnam, or a re-escalation. 2001FourFourTwo Aug. 117/1 The festive period saw an apocalyptic 5–1 home defeat to Leyton Orient. 2005Observer 11 Sept. i. 22/2 At the hint of a dirty bomb or some other apocalyptic onslaught, societies could become ‘decivilised’. |