Tribulation Definition

trĭbyə-lāshən

tribulations

noun

tribulations

Great misery or distress, as from oppression; deep sorrow.

Webster's New World

Something that causes great suffering or distress; affliction; trial.

Webster's New World

An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith.

American Heritage

Any adversity; a trying period or event.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

pronoun

(Christianity) A relatively short period of time before the second coming where believers will experience worldwide persecution and be purified and strengthened by it.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Tribulation

Noun

Singular:

tribulation

Plural:

tribulations

Origin of Tribulation

Middle English tribulation, from Old French tribulacion, from Late Latin tribulatio (“distress, trouble, tribulation, affliction"), from tribulare (“to press, probably also thresh out grain"), from tribulum (“a sledge consisting of a wooden block studded with sharp pieces of flint or with iron teeth, used for threshing grain"), from terere (“to rub"); see trite.

From Wiktionary
Middle English tribulacioun from Old French tribulacion from Latin trībulātiō trībulātiōn- from trībulātus past participle of trībulāre to oppress from Latin trībulum threshing-sledge terə-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition