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
What may do us in isn’t a meteor, a nuclear holocaust or a superpandemic.
—
Steve Forbes, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
What may do us in isn’t a meteor, a nuclear holocaust or a superpandemic.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
But in the two or three minutes since his initial departure, the fiery holocaust had somehow become even more deadly.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
In addition to the horror of the holocaust, the Institute also needed to represent the idea of freedom and some kind of passageway between the couple.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holocaust
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Steve Forbes, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
What may do us in isn’t a meteor, a nuclear holocaust or a superpandemic.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
But in the two or three minutes since his initial departure, the fiery holocaust had somehow become even more deadly.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
In addition to the horror of the holocaust, the Institute also needed to represent the idea of freedom and some kind of passageway between the couple.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holocaust
Cite this Entry
“Holocaust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holocaust. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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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