Extremely large-scale disasters or sudden events that cause great damage, suffering, or failure.
From Greek 'katastrophe' combining 'kata-' (down) and 'strophe' (turning or overturning). Originally used in Greek drama to describe the final turn of events in a tragedy where everything falls apart.
Ancient Greeks invented the term 'catastrophe' for their dramatic plays, and modern insurance companies still classify major disasters this way—when catastrophes strike, insurance rates suddenly jump because risk has been proven real!
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