fatalism

[ feyt-l-iz-uhm ]

noun

1. the acceptance of all things and events as inevitable; submission to fate:

   Her fatalism helped her to face death with stoic calm.

2. Philosophy. the doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable predetermination.

fatalism

/ ˈfeɪtəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the philosophical doctrine that all events are predetermined so that man is powerless to alter his destiny
2. the acceptance of and submission to this doctrine
3. a lack of effort or action in the face of difficulty

Derived Forms

• ˈfatalist, noun
• ˌfatalˈistic, adjective
• ˌfatalˈistically, adverb

Other Words From

• fa·tal·ist noun adjective
• fa·tal·is·tic [feyt-l-, is, -tik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatalism¹

First recorded in 1670–80; fatal + -ism

Example Sentences

But does fatalism blind us to what California’s role needs to be right now and what it can do to move the world forward?

From Los Angeles Times

In Lebanon, where health officials say Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,000 people over the last year, most of them in the last two months, there was an air of fatalism over the outcome.

From Los Angeles Times

If “the end result is the same,” a mishmash of ideology and fatalism can ignore the foreseeable results of a Republican Party gaining control of the federal government with a 2024 platform that pledges to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.”

From Salon

This potent mix of fatalism and hopelessness has led to a loss of faith in our neighbors, our institutions and our dreams for the future.

From Los Angeles Times

Climate Week wants to cut the fatalism that often surrounds the subject of climate change with fun and exciting experiences.

From Los Angeles Times