lethality

American  

[lee-thal-i-tee] / liˈθæl ɪ ti /

Also lethalness

noun

1. the capacity to cause great harm, destruction, or death.

   Many pathogens are self-limited by their own lethality—the host dies before it has a chance to spread the pathogen.

2. the likelihood of causing great harm, destruction, or death.

   Mutations can increase or decrease lethality, but most viruses mutate to less lethal forms.

3. death.

   Prion diseases, such as so-called “mad cow,” are characterized by neurodegeneration and lethality.

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Etymology

Origin of lethality

lethal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

The president often brags about the military and its lethality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

On March 2, 2026, after bragging about the awe-inspiring lethality of U.S.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

Russian and Chinese parts, including everything from warheads to electronics, remain key to the supply chain, enabling drone operation and lethality.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

This type of vulnerability is known as synthetic lethality, a principle already used in several targeted cancer treatments.

From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2025

In other words, modern non-nuclear precision weapons perhaps could produce effects against enemy targets roughly comparable to the military lethality of theater-level nuclear weapons.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.