fatality

[ fey-tal-i-tee, fuh- ]

noun

, plural fa·tal·i·ties.

1. a disaster resulting in death.
2. a death resulting from such an occurrence:

   a rise in highway fatalities.

3. the quality of causing death or disaster; a fatal influence; deadliness.
4. predetermined liability to disaster, misfortune, etc.:

   a fatality for saying the wrong thing.

5. the quality of being predetermined by or subject to fate:

   There is a fatality in human affairs that leads to destruction.

6. the fate or destiny of a person or thing:

   Death is the ultimate fatality of all human beings.

7. a fixed, unalterably predetermined course of things; inevitability:

   to resign oneself to the fatality of life.

fatality

/ fəˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. an accident or disaster resulting in death
2. a person killed in an accident or disaster
3. the power of causing death or disaster; deadliness
4. the quality or condition of being fated
5. something caused or dictated by fate

Other Words From

• nonfa·tali·ty noun plural nonfatalities

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatality¹

From the Late Latin word fātālitās, dating back to 1480–90. See fatal, -ity

Example Sentences

More than 220 people lost their lives when areas of Spain were hit by floods on 29 October, and most of the fatalities were in Mazón's eastern coastal region.

From BBC

She noted that since the late 1990s, when this current strain of bird flu originated in China’s Guangdong Province, the fatality rate was close to 60%.

From Los Angeles Times

Accidents at work involving pedestrians like Mr Clarke were a major cause of fatal injuries in the workplace with 25 such recorded fatalities in 2023/24.

From BBC

“We suffered loss, but again, we had no fatalities. We suffered loss, but we’ll be able to rebuild. We can rebuild, we can recover and we can heal.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Breeders’ Cup hasn’t had a horse fatality since 2019, but recent safety improvements in the sport still haven’t brought an end to thoroughbred deaths.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accident
• casualty
• disaster
• mortality