Question 1 · Quick check
chaos
CEFRC1
/ˈkeɪɒs/
noun
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
noun
A state of complete confusion and disorder.
- 02
noun
Extra detailA behaviour of iterative non-linear systems in which arbitrarily small variations in initial conditions become magnified over time.
Examples
His sudden departure threw the office into chaos.
The entire theater turned to chaos when somebody cried "Fire!".
At a glance
Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 2
- Synonyms
- 1
Also pronounced
- /ˈkæɪ.ɔs/
Deep Dive
noun
Extra meaningsAny state of disorder; a confused or amorphous mixture or conglomeration.
The unordered state of matter in classical accounts of cosmogony.
One of the two metaphysical forces of the world in some fantasy settings, as opposed to law.
More examples
In contextThere will be chaos unless we all adhere to the rules.
After the earthquake, the local hospital was in chaos
Chaos warrior, Chaos daemon
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
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Nearby
Origin
noun
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek χάος (kháos, “vast chasm, void”). Doublet of gas, which was borrowed through Dutch. Displaced native Old English dwolma. In Early Modern English, used in the sense of the original Greek word. In the meaning “primordial matter” from the 16th century. Figurative usage in the sense “confusion, disorder” from the 17th century. The technical sense in mathematics and science dates from the 1960s.