oblivion

From Middle English oblivion, from Anglo-Norman oblivion, from Latin oblīviō (“forgetfulness”), from oblivisci (“to forget”).

• enPR: əblĭvʹēən, IPA^(key): /əˈblɪviːən/

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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, including 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!

3. A form of purgatory.
4. (obsolete) Amnesty.

• forgetness

• obliviate, obliviation, oblivious

• obliteration

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.

• “oblivion”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “oblivion”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “oblivion”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• oblivioun, oblyvyon, oblyvyone, oblyvyoun

From Anglo-Norman oblivion, from Latin oblīviō.

• IPA^(key): /ɔbˈliviun/, /ɔbˈliːviun/

oblivion (uncountable) (Late Middle English)

1. oblivion (state of forgetting completely)
2. oblivion (state of being forgotten)

• oblivious

• English: oblivion

• “oblī̆viǒun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Borrowed from Latin oblīviō.

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

1. forgetfulness

• → Middle English: oblivion, oblivioun, oblyvyon, oblyvyone, oblyvyoun
  • English: oblivion

• oblivion on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub