mortality

[ mawr-tal-i-tee ]

noun

, plural mor·tal·i·ties.

1. the state or condition of being subject to death; mortal character, nature, or existence.
2. the relative frequency of deaths in a specific population; death rate.
3. mortal beings collectively; humanity.
4. death or destruction on a large scale, as from war, plague, or famine.
5. Obsolete. death.

mortality

/ mɔːˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being mortal
2. great loss of life, as in war or disaster
3. the number of deaths in a given period
4. mankind; humanity
5. an obsolete word for death

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortality¹

1300–50; Middle English mortalite < Middle French < Latin mortālitās. See mortal, -ity

Example Sentences

For the investigation of mammalian species communities and ecosystems it is therefore important to systematically record and analyse these regular and exceptional cases of mortality.

From Science Daily

Black women in California have suffered a maternal mortality rate more than three times that of white women in the state.

From Los Angeles Times

My Brain Tumour And Me - Glenn Campbell faces down his mortality and considers what matters most in life.

From BBC

Regionally, the Midwest experienced the greatest jump, with an increase of 2.5 times in alcohol-related mortality, followed by the Northeast, West and South.

From Science Daily

According to Yue Li, an economist at the University at Albany, SUNY, “there has been evidence showing that when social security was first introduced, it caused mortality to fall.”

From Salon

Related Words

• fatality

Mortality Vs. Morbidity

What’s the difference between mortality and morbidity?

In a medical context, the word mortality refers to relative frequency of deaths in a specific population or location (sometimes called the mortality rate), while the word morbidity refers to the incidence or prevalence of a disease in a specific population or location (sometimes called the morbidity rate).

The related word cormorbidity is used in medical contexts to refer to the state of having multiple medical conditions at the same time.

In this context, morbidity relates to sickness, while mortality relates to death.

Both morbidity and mortality are also used in nontechnical ways. Morbidity is the noun form of the adjective morbid, which most commonly means excessively gloomy or having an unusual interest in dark subjects, like death. Morbidity, then, can be used to refer to the quality of having this interest, as in Her latest novel lacks the morbidity of her earlier works. 

Mortality, on the other hand, most commonly refers to the state or condition of being subject to death, as in Humans are aware of their own mortality. The opposite of this is immortality—unending life.

Here’s an example of mortality and morbidity used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: Studies show that while the morbidity in the region remains quite high, the mortality rate from the disease has continued to drop. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between mortality and morbidity.

Quiz yourself on mortality vs. morbidity!

Should mortality or morbidity be used in the following sentence?

It is hoped that the vaccination program will decrease _____ among the population, and, as a result, reduce the number of deaths from the disease.