natural disaster
noun
: a sudden and terrible event in nature (such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood) that usually results in serious damage and many deaths
The earthquake was one of the worst natural disasters of this century.
Examples of natural disaster in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The billion-ton rock canopy provides passive containment and shielding that protects the reactor from natural disasters or surface-level threats while the billion-ton rock canopy acts as an extra layer of safety.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, and trending news.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
It is used to justify regulations, such as auto emissions standards, intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change — deadly floods, extreme heat waves, catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters in the United States and around the world.
—Matthew Daly, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent years, as climate change has fueled more intense events, from flooding to wildfires, the federal government has assumed a greater financial responsibility for natural disaster recovery.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for natural disaster
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, and trending news.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
It is used to justify regulations, such as auto emissions standards, intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change — deadly floods, extreme heat waves, catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters in the United States and around the world.
—Matthew Daly, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
In recent years, as climate change has fueled more intense events, from flooding to wildfires, the federal government has assumed a greater financial responsibility for natural disaster recovery.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for natural disaster
Cite this Entry
“Natural disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20disaster. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
