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Crisis vs Catastrophe - What's the difference?

crisis | catastrophe |

As nouns the difference between crisis and catastrophe

is that crisis is a crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point while catastrophe is any large and disastrous event of great significance.

crisis

English

Noun

(crises)
  • A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
  • An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.
  • A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which the patient is expected to recover or die.
  • (psychology) A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
  • (drama) A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.

    • Derived terms

    {{der3, crisis management , currency crisis , financial crisis , economic crisis , international crisis , identity crisis , existential crisis , personal crisis , psychological crisis , midlife crisis , quarter-life crisis}}

    Related terms

    * critic * critical * criticize * critique * criterion

    External links

    * * English nouns with irregular plurals ----

    catastrophe

    English

    (wikipedia catastrophe)

    Alternative forms

    * (now rare) *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
  • (insurance) A disaster beyond expectations
  • (narratology) The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot in a tragedy.
  • (mathematics) A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

    • Synonyms

    *nakba

    Derived terms

    * catastrophe bond * catastrophe theory

    Related terms

    * anastrophe * apostrophe * cataclysm