holocaust
noun
ho·lo·caust
ˈhō-lə-ˌkȯst 
ˈhä-,
also -ˌkäst,
or ˈhȯ-lə-kȯst
1
: a sacrifice (see sacrifice entry 1 sense 2) consumed by fire
2
: a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire
a nuclear holocaust
3
a
usually the Holocaust
: the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II
Several members of her family died in the Holocaust.
a Holocaust survivor
b
: a mass slaughter of people
Examples of holocaust in a Sentence
The museum is devoted to the Holocaust.
There were fears of a nuclear holocaust.
Recent Examples on the Web
Five arrives last, on November 25, 1963, right in the middle of a nuclear holocaust.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2024
In the 1950s, the success of the Manhattan Project, combined with the emerging U.S.-Soviet rivalry, created the novel threat of a worldwide nuclear holocaust.
—Daniel Deudney, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Soon after, the same broadcaster commissioned a holocaust series featuring a majority white cast.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024
The theory gets its name from the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, where a cyborg travels back in time to kill a woman whose unborn son will fight against an AI system slated to spark a nuclear holocaust.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for holocaust 
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Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2024
In the 1950s, the success of the Manhattan Project, combined with the emerging U.S.-Soviet rivalry, created the novel threat of a worldwide nuclear holocaust.
—Daniel Deudney, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Soon after, the same broadcaster commissioned a holocaust series featuring a majority white cast.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024
The theory gets its name from the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, where a cyborg travels back in time to kill a woman whose unborn son will fight against an AI system slated to spark a nuclear holocaust.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for holocaust
Articles Related to holocaust
Dictionary Entries Near holocaust
Cite this Entry
“Holocaust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holocaust. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
holocaust
noun
ho·lo·caust
ˈhō-lə-ˌkȯst
ˈhäl-ə-,
also -ˌkäst,
or ˈhȯ-lə-ˌkȯst
1
: a sacrifice destroyed by fire
2
: a thorough destruction especially by fire
3
a
often capitalized
: the killing of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II
b
: genocide
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