1. an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster: "a national economic catastrophe"
▪ the denouement of a drama, especially a classical tragedy.
Word Originmid 16th century (in the sense ‘denouement’): from Latin catastropha, from Greek katastrophē ‘overturning, sudden turn’, from kata- ‘down’ + strophē ‘turning’ (from strephein ‘to turn’).
