fatalism
the acceptance of all things and events as inevitable; submission to fate: Her fatalism helped her to face death with stoic calm.
Philosophy. the doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable predetermination.
Compare Meanings
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
Origin of fatalism
1Other words from fatalism
- fa·tal·ist, noun, adjective
- fa·tal·is·tic [feyt-l-is-tik], /ˌfeɪt lˈɪs tɪk/, adjective
Words that may be confused with fatalism
- determinism, fatalism , necessitarianism
Words Nearby fatalism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fatalism in a sentence
We tend to get distracted by utopian visions or by a cynical fatalism that says, “Let’s just burn the whole thing down because nothing can improve it.”
We’re in even deeper trouble if healthy cynicism tips into lazy fatalism.
Seasons upon seasons of coming up short can imbue a sense of fatalism in even the most optimistic supporters.
This Year’s NBA Champion Will Bring A Title To A Cursed Sports City | Santul Nerkar (santul.nerkar@abc.com) | July 1, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightKeong Sim narrates the book in a serene, resonant voice, capturing the author’s wry humor and feelings of awe and fatalism.
3 great new audiobooks for your drive, your walk, your laundry folding ... | Katherine A. Powers | June 25, 2021 | Washington PostRather than sparking inspiration, it speaks of blatant fatalism about what is worth saving, a preference for the lofty and unpopulated … with delusions of innovation and heroism.
The dire fatalism that dominated the discourse then is gone, replaced largely with a practiced apathy.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley | Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Middle East was the source of an uncharacteristic vibe at Davos: fatalism.
Political Tensions Takes Center Stage at World Economic Forum | Daniel Gross | January 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThis is in marked contrast to the fatalism you see in places like Russia and China, where partisanship is frowned upon.
It had had, he owned, its temporary value, as the necessary rebellion against fatalism and immobility and privilege.
The Life of Mazzini | Bolton KingJarvis discarded his fatalism, as he caught at this loophole.
The Ghost Breaker | Charles GoddardNo fatalism is long proof against the call of love and June.
The Secret Witness | George Gibbs"The roses of Konopisht," he muttered, thinking of Marishka's fatalism.
The Secret Witness | George GibbsHe is accused of a leaning to fatalism, which he heartily denied, but which seems to follow from his logical conclusions.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VI | John Lord
British Dictionary definitions for fatalism
/ (ˈfeɪtəˌlɪzəm) /
the philosophical doctrine that all events are predetermined so that man is powerless to alter his destiny
the acceptance of and submission to this doctrine
a lack of effort or action in the face of difficulty
Derived forms of fatalism
- fatalist, noun
- fatalistic, adjective
- fatalistically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for fatalism
The belief that events are determined by an impersonal fate and cannot be changed by human beings. Fatalism is a form of determinism.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse