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
The Glamour Editors, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2025
Not every photo can be controlled — as Pennsylvania proves — but after several years of his image being meme-d to oblivion, the president is taking optics more seriously.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
However, as the remains of the comet head further away from Earth, this rare sight will slowly fade into oblivion.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
The sheer immensity of the tent city is jaw-dropping, a hinterland oblivion of yurts and RVs, all stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see.
—Barrett Swanson, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Oblivion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblivion. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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oblivion
noun
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