catastrophic outcomes

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "catastrophic outcomes" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing severe negative consequences or results of an event or action. Example: "The failure to address climate change could lead to catastrophic outcomes for future generations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

At the same time, catastrophic outcomes can be very challenging to predict.

The New York Times

He suggested developing a survey of potential catastrophic outcomes, followed by a cost-benefit analysis of averting those outcomes.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"One of the things the 1930s experience teaches us is there are some catastrophic outcomes which can happen".

The New York Times

Our actions in Pakistan and Afghanistan seek to prevent catastrophic outcomes from these toxic forces, and constitute a most critical national interest.

The New York Times

The story is a metaphor, but Bostrom's aim is to demonstrate how programming even simple values into intelligent machines could have catastrophic outcomes.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The current indignation over airport screening reminds me how difficult it is to accurately report on issues that involve unlikely, but catastrophic outcomes.

Harvard Business Review

But while the measures can mitigate some of the more catastrophic outcomes -- such as flights being grounded -- they won't address the obstacles to trade that would suddenly emerge.

The Washington Post

"Our review of the fish kills found there isn't enough water in the Darling system to avoid catastrophic outcomes," they warned.

The Guardian

The bigger problem, though, is that VAR works only for liquid securities over short periods in "normal" markets, and it does not cover catastrophic outcomes.

The Economist

"The models are extremely limited in how they capture dangerous tipping points, and catastrophic outcomes," said Laurie Johnson, an economist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The New York Times

This is a concept Judith Curry understood in 2007, when she wrote, "The rationale for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide is to reduce the risk of the possibility of catastrophic outcomes.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "catastrophic outcomes", ensure the context clearly establishes the potential severity and wide-ranging impact of the consequences being discussed.

Common error

Avoid using "catastrophic outcomes" when the situation involves negative but manageable results. Reserve it for truly dire scenarios involving significant and widespread harm.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "catastrophic outcomes" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object of a verb or preposition. It describes severe, often irreversible, negative results or consequences. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

45%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "catastrophic outcomes" is used to describe extremely negative and devastating consequences, often with irreversible effects. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is grammatically sound and commonly employed across various fields. It's essential to reserve this term for situations where the potential damage is truly widespread and severe, avoiding its overuse in less critical contexts. Semantically related phrases such as "disastrous consequences" or "grave implications" can serve as suitable alternatives depending on the specific context. With a high frequency of occurrence in news, media, and scientific publications, "catastrophic outcomes" effectively conveys the gravity of situations involving significant risk and potentially devastating results.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

disastrous consequences

Focuses on the results being disastrous.

devastating repercussions

Emphasizes the far-reaching and devastating nature of the consequences.

grave implications

Highlights the serious and significant nature of the implications.

severe repercussions

Stresses the intensity and seriousness of the repercussions.

terrible consequences

Uses a more general term to describe the negativity of the consequences.

tragic results

Focuses on the unfortunate and sorrowful nature of the results.

calamitous effects

Uses a stronger and more dramatic term for the effects.

adverse effects

Indicates negative and harmful effects.

critical incidents

Emphasizes events of decisive importance that lead to harmful outcomes.

worst-case scenarios

Highlights the potential for the most negative and damaging outcomes.

FAQs

How can I use "catastrophic outcomes" in a sentence?

You can use "catastrophic outcomes" to describe situations where the results are extremely negative and far-reaching. For example: "The failure to address climate change could lead to catastrophic outcomes."

What are some alternatives to "catastrophic outcomes"?

You can use alternatives like "disastrous consequences", "devastating repercussions", or "grave implications" depending on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use the term "catastrophic outcomes"?

Use "catastrophic outcomes" when referring to events or situations with potentially devastating and irreversible consequences, affecting a large scale of people or systems.

What's the difference between "severe consequences" and "catastrophic outcomes"?

"Severe consequences" indicates serious negative results, while "catastrophic outcomes" suggests a disaster with widespread and devastating effects. The latter implies a much greater scale of damage.