oblivion

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman oblivion ( = Old French oblivion), from Latin oblīviō (forgetfulness), from oblivisci (to forget).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈblɪvɪən/
  • (file)

Noun

oblivion (usually uncountable, plural oblivions)

  1. The state of forgetting completely, of being oblivious, unconscious, unaware, as when sleeping, drunk, or dead.
    He regularly drank himself into oblivion.
    Only the oblivion of sleep can heal the greatest traumas.
  2. The state of being completely forgotten, of being reduced to a state of non-existence, extinction, or nothingness, incl. through war and destruction. (Figuratively) for an area like hell, a wasteland.
    Due to modern technology, many more people and much more information will not slip into oblivion, contrary to what happened throughout history until now.
    They tried to bomb them into oblivion.
    I will cast them into oblivion!
    Close shut the gates of oblivion!
  3. (obsolete) Amnesty.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

oblivion (third-person singular simple present oblivions, present participle oblivioning, simple past and past participle oblivioned)

  1. (transitive) To consign to oblivion; to efface utterly.

Further reading


Old French

Noun

oblivion f (oblique plural oblivions, nominative singular oblivion, nominative plural oblivions)

  1. forgetfulness

References

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