holocaust

IPA/ˈhɒl.ə.kɔːst/
KK[hˈɑləkˌɔst]IPA/ˈhɑː.lə.kɑːst/

holocaust — noun

  • holocaustsingular
  • holocaustsplural

1. the systematic murder of about six million Jewish civilians and millions of othe

1.nounB2
Definition

the systematic murder of about six million Jewish civilians and millions of others that Nazi Germany carried out between 1941 and 1945

Example

The Holocaust took the lives of about six million Jewish people during World War II.

proper noun: the Holocaust (always capitalised)

Omar's great-grandparents survived the Holocaust and moved to South America after the war.

collocation: survived the Holocaust

Common collocations
  • the Holocaust
  • Holocaust survivor
  • Holocaust memorial
  • Holocaust denial
  • Holocaust education
Synonyms
  • genocide

    broader term for any intentional destruction of a people; the Holocaust is a specific instance

  • Shoah

    Hebrew term for the Holocaust; used in Jewish communities

Grammar Patterns

the + Holocaust

Usage Note

Always written with a capital H when referring to the Nazi genocide. Using the lowercase form 'holocaust' for other tragedies may be seen as diminishing the uniqueness of this historical event.

Common Mistakes

The holocaust was a terrible event.
The Holocaust was a terrible event.
The historical event must be capitalised.
That war was also a holocaust.
That war also caused tremendous suffering.
Referring to other events as 'a holocaust' can be seen as insensitive.

2. an event in which war, fire, or other extreme forces kill a huge number of peopl

2.nounC1
Definition

an event in which war, fire, or other extreme forces kill a huge number of people and destroy the area around them

Example

A nuclear holocaust would destroy human civilisation across the entire planet.

collocation: nuclear holocaust

Historians described the firebombing as a holocaust that consumed the whole district.

passive: described as a holocaust

Common collocations
  • nuclear holocaust
  • fire holocaust
  • global holocaust
Synonyms
  • catastrophe

    broader term for any sudden disaster; does not always involve mass death

  • genocide

    specific to the targeted killing of a national or ethnic group

  • carnage

    focuses on bloody killing of many people; less emphasis on destruction of property

Grammar Patterns

a(n) + [modifier] + holocaust

nuclear holocaust

Usage Note

Less common in everyday speech than words like 'disaster' or 'catastrophe'. Typically used with a modifier (nuclear holocaust, fire holocaust) and carries a tone of irreversible ruin.

Common Mistakes

The earthquake was a holocaust that damaged many buildings.
The earthquake was a catastrophe that damaged many buildings.
'holocaust' implies mass death and total destruction, not just damage.
My exam was a holocaust.
My exam was a disaster.
Using 'holocaust' for everyday problems is inappropriate and can offend.

Word family

  • holocaustal
    adjectiveC2
  • holocaustic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe large-scale killing, but they differ in scope and specificity. 'Genocide' is the broadest legal term, defined by the UN as the deliberate destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group — it covers cases like the Rwandan genocide or the Armenian genocide. 'The Holocaust' is a proper noun referring specifically to the Nazi genocide of European Jews during World War II. 'The Shoah' (Hebrew for 'catastrophe') is used primarily within Jewish communities and carries a more historical and cultural weight. 'Massacre' describes the indiscriminate killing of a group of people in a single event (e.g., a village massacre), not a systematic, years-long campaign. 'Atrocity' is the most general, covering any cruel or violent act, from a single bombing to a war crime. For example: 'The Holocaust included countless individual atrocities, but it was a genocide — not a single massacre.'

genocide ↗the Shoahmassacre ↗atrocity ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Holocaust survivor
  • Holocaust memorial
  • Holocaust denial
  • Holocaust education

Phrases

  • the Holocaust
  • a nuclear holocaust

Prepositions

  • during the Holocaust
  • after the Holocaust
  • in a holocaust

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From Greek 'holókauston' (holo- 'whole' + kaustos 'burnt'), which originally referred to a religious offering that was completely burned. The word entered English in the 1200s through Latin and Old French. For most of its history it meant 'a sacrifice consumed by fire.' The modern sense of 'mass destruction' emerged in the 1800s, and after World War II it became capitalised as 'the Holocaust' to refer specifically to the Nazi genocide.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1