major disaster

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "major disaster" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant and catastrophic event or situation. Example: "The region was still recovering from the major disaster caused by last year's hurricane when another one struck this week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He declared Alabama "a major, major disaster".

The New York Times

The major disaster declaration for Connecticut followed by Tuesday evening.

The New York Times

A major disaster or scandal presents such a challenge.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Lötschberg was the site of a major disaster in 1908.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It would be "a major disaster," says Ashley.

The Economist

I know of no major disaster to befall her patients.

The New York Times - Health

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in Oklahoma.

The Guardian

But the president is always relevant in a major disaster.

The New York Times

It will be a major disaster," Superintendent Cliff said.

The Guardian

In fact, it was the first major disaster served by the Red Cross, then recently created.

The New York Times

A major disaster or traumatic event can cause PTSD on a large scale.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use this phrase for situations where immediate and significant intervention is required.

Common error

Avoid using "major disaster" to describe commonplace or easily resolvable issues. This can diminish the impact of the phrase when referring to genuinely catastrophic events and confuse the readers. Reserve it for situations that involve widespread damage, loss of life, or severe disruption.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "major disaster" functions as a noun phrase that serves as a subject complement or object in a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts, as demonstrated by the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

18%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "major disaster" is a commonly used and grammatically correct noun phrase that refers to a significantly destructive event. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. Its usage is most frequent in news and media, scientific publications, and encyclopedias. When writing about disasters, it's important to use this phrase accurately, reserving it for events of substantial impact and avoiding its use for minor incidents. Alternative phrases such as "severe catastrophe" or "significant calamity" can be used depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

severe catastrophe

Replaces "disaster" with "catastrophe" emphasizing the scale of destruction and suffering and replaces "major" with "severe", indicating the high level of damage.

significant calamity

Substitutes "disaster" with "calamity", stressing the event's tragic and devastating nature and substitutes "major" with "significant", indicating the impact on people's lives.

serious crisis

Replaces "disaster" with "crisis" indicating a time of intense difficulty or danger and replaces "major" with "serious", focusing on the severity of the situation.

grave emergency

Replaces "disaster" with "emergency" focusing on the urgent and critical need for action and substitutes "major" with "grave", indicating the potentially life-threatening nature of the situation.

terrible tragedy

Replaces "disaster" with "tragedy" highlighting the element of loss and suffering involved and substitutes "major" with "terrible", indicating the shock.

unmitigated catastrophe

Emphasizes the complete and utter nature of the disaster, suggesting a situation where there's no way to lessen the impact.

large-scale devastation

Focuses on the extent of the damage caused by the event, highlighting the widespread destruction.

critical incident

Highlights the urgency and potential consequences of the situation, often used in professional or emergency response contexts.

cataclysmic event

Emphasizes the sudden and violent nature of the disaster, suggesting a transformative and destructive impact.

national emergency

Focuses on the impact to the entire nation.

FAQs

How to use "major disaster" in a sentence?

Use "major disaster" to describe events that cause significant damage, loss, or disruption, such as, "The hurricane was declared a "major disaster" by the government."

What can I say instead of "major disaster"?

You can use alternatives like "severe catastrophe", "significant calamity", or "serious crisis" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "major disaster" or "minor disaster"?

"Major disaster" describes a severe event, while "minor disaster" indicates a less significant one. The choice depends on the actual scale of the event you're describing.

What's the difference between "major disaster" and "national emergency"?

"Major disaster" refers to a specific event causing widespread damage or loss, whereas "national emergency" is a broader declaration by a government indicating a crisis affecting the entire country.