Calamity vs. Disaster — What's the Difference?

An event resulting in great loss and misfortune.

A significant failure or breakdown.

A severe event causing distress or hardship.

An event resulting in significant damage or loss.

A sudden, severe misfortune or affliction.

An occurrence causing widespread distress.

An act of nature causing widespread destruction.

A grave misfortune or setback.

A dire disaster marked by loss and suffering.

A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95% of all deaths caused by hazards occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural hazards are 20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.

An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster

An occurrence causing widespread destruction and distress; a catastrophe.

Dire distress resulting from loss or tragedy.

A grave misfortune.

An event resulting in great loss.

(Informal) A total failure

The distress that results from some disaster.

(Obsolete) An evil influence of a star or planet.

Any great misfortune or cause of misery; - generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evil, either to communities or individuals.

An unexpected natural or man-made catastrophe of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life or sometimes permanent change to the natural environment.

A state or time of distress or misfortune; misery.

An unforeseen event causing great loss, upset or unpleasantness of whatever kind.

An event resulting in great loss and misfortune;

An unpropitious or baleful aspect of a planet or star; malevolent influence of a heavenly body; hence, an ill portent.

An adverse or unfortunate event, esp. a sudden and extraordinary misfortune; a calamity; a serious mishap.

To blast by the influence of a baleful star.

To bring harm upon; to injure.

A state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune;

An event resulting in great loss and misfortune;

An act that has disastrous consequences

A sudden unfortunate event causing harm.

Though frequently used interchangeably, calamity often carries a weightier tone than disaster.

Yes, disasters can be both natural and man-made.

Yes, while both denote unfortunate events, a calamity often implies a severe, large-scale catastrophe, while a disaster can range from personal to wide-scale misfortunes.

While calamities often refer to natural events, they can also describe any large-scale, severe misfortune.

An earthquake can be termed both a calamity due to its natural and unforeseen nature, and a disaster due to its devastating consequences.

Often, yes. Calamities are typically perceived as events beyond human intervention or control.

Yes, personal misfortunes can also be termed disasters based on their impact.

Calamity often carries a deeper emotional connotation due to its implication of severity.

A calamity typically suggests a more severe event, but the severity of disasters can vary.

Yes, the term disaster can be used for events ranging from personal setbacks to large-scale incidents.

Examples include nuclear accidents, oil spills, and factory explosions.

All calamities can be termed disasters due to their harmful nature, but not all disasters are calamities.

A flood can be both a calamity (due to its natural occurrence) and a disaster (due to its damaging consequences).

While many calamities are unexpected, the term doesn't necessarily imply unpredictability.

Yes, if its effects are widespread and severe, a financial downturn can be termed a calamity.