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catastrophism

catastrophism

1 9.1
A tendency to predict or exaggerate disasters
  • noun
  • /kəˈtæstrəˌfɪzəm/
  • Specialized
: catastrofismo
  • The speaker's argument centered around catastrophism, emphasizing how society often overreacts to potential future crises.

These are, you know, the same folks promoting neo eugenics and promoting AI catastrophism.

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Examples

  • The scientific case for CO2 catastrophism was never that strong.

    Blog text (28)
  • I also have some concern about climate catastrophism being used for purposes of globalization, at the expense of national sovereignty.

    Blog text (28)
  • The novel's relationship to scientific debates about catastrophism is discussed in Bulfin 157-62.

    Academic text (2016)
  • But the biological and geological passages of In Memoriam record the progressivist catastrophism of his time, not the evolutionary theory of Darwin's world to come.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Many critics argue that climate change discussions often lean towards catastrophism, highlighting potential disasters without considering adaptive solutions.

  • In today's media, there is a tendency towards catastrophism, where news coverage focuses excessively on the threat of natural disasters.

Synonyms

alarmism
vscatastrophism
4 8.1

Making dangers seem worse than they are to make people worried for no reason

tends to stress likelihood of disasters often in theories or discussion
doom mongering
vscatastrophism
  • Literature
1 8.4

Saying the future will be bad to make people worried

focuses on exaggerating disaster likelihood rather than general gloomy forecasts

Antonyms

165 2.8

A tendency to expect good results and see the positive side of things

How Alarmist

catastrophism
  • Specialized
1 9.1
doom mongering
  • Literature
1 8.4
alarmism
4 8.1
worry
378 1.0
concern
∞ 1.5

Surface Forms

catastrophism singular

Morphology

catastrophism = catastrophe (transparent) = catastrophe + ism

The word is a standard noun formed from 'catastrophe' plus '-ism', meaning a doctrine, tendency, or emphasis centered on catastrophes.

Etymology

Catastrophism comes from catastrophe, which means 'sudden disaster', and the ending -ism, which means 'a belief or habit'. So catastrophism is the habit or tendency to expect or talk about big disasters.