fatalism

American  

[feyt-l-iz-uhm] / ˈfeɪt lˌɪz əm /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Other Word Forms

• fatalist noun
• fatalistic adjective
• fatalistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of fatalism

First recorded in 1670–80; fatal + -ism

Compare meaning

How does fatalism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• fatalism vs. determinism

Example Sentences

The idea that “there will be no victor or vanquished” is not poetic fatalism, it is empirical reality.

From Salon

A constitutionally cyclical outlook encouraged adaptability and sustainability rather than fatalism.

From The Wall Street Journal

But if the movie’s just-so fatalism is less than galvanizing, it’s also soberly convincing.

From The Wall Street Journal

And so the chance has arrived at last, decades in the waiting, decades largely made up of frustration, false dawns and fatalism.

From BBC

In the soporific Irish midlands, Marty Hawkins is reminded that “fields breed fatalism,” which suits his mood.

From The Wall Street Journal