1. a person who believes that major geological changes have occurred suddenly through violent upheavals rather than gradual processes
Usage: geology, historical; contrasts with uniformitarianism
2. a person who predicts or expects disaster or catastrophe
Usage: general usage

Examples

• Early catastrophists argued that Noah's flood explained the fossil record.
• The catastrophist theory was eventually replaced by the principle of uniformitarianism in geology.
• Some critics dismissed him as a catastrophist for warning about climate change.
• Catastrophists in the 18th century debated whether Earth's features resulted from sudden cataclysms.
• The economist was labeled a catastrophist for predicting an imminent market collapse.