oblivion
noun
D. S. Looney
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Oblivion and the River Lethe
Oblivion asks forgetfulness of us in both its meaning and etymology. The word’s Latin source, oblīvīscī, means “to forget; to put out of mind,” and since its 14th century adoption into English, oblivion has hewed close to meanings having to do with forgetting. The word has also long had an association with the River Lethe, which according to Greek myth flowed through the Underworld and caused anyone who drank its water to forget their past; 17th century poet John Milton wrote about “Lethe the River of Oblivion” in Paradise Lost. The adjective oblivious (“lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention”) followed oblivion a century later, but not into oblivion—both words have proved obdurate against the erosive currents of time.
Examples of oblivion in a Sentence
Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Such a narrow escape from oblivion would have shocked his fellow-Romans.
—Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
As the new year came and went, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ruling Liberal Party, after nearly a decade in power, were trailing the Conservatives by 25 points—and facing electoral oblivion.
—David Moscrop, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
Now, many revelers take that to the furthest degree, spending the day wearing green, drinking themselves into oblivion, and not spending too much time thinking about Saint Patrick or the meaning of Irish identity.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oblivion
Cite this Entry
“Oblivion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblivion. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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oblivion
noun
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