fallout

American  

[fawl-aut] / ˈfɔlˌaʊt /

Or fall-out

noun

• fallouts
  plural

1. the settling to the ground of airborne particles ejected into the atmosphere from the earth by explosions, eruptions, forest fires, etc., especially such settling from nuclear explosions radioactive fallout.

2. the particles themselves.

3. an unexpected or incidental effect, outcome, or product.

   the psychological fallout of being obese.

4. effects; results.

   emotional fallout from a divorce.

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fallout British  

/ ˈfɔːlˌaʊt /

noun

1. the descent of solid material in the atmosphere onto the earth, esp of radioactive material following a nuclear explosion

2. any solid particles that so descend

3. informal side-effects; secondary consequences

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verb

1. informal to quarrel or disagree

2. (intr) to happen or occur

3. military to leave a parade or disciplinary formation

1. military the order to leave a parade or disciplinary formation

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fallouts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fallout

First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase fall out

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Explanation

Fallout is the cloud of radioactive material that falls from the sky after a nuclear blast. Fear of the effects of fallout is just one reason some people are nervous about nuclear energy. Nuclear fallout settles on the ground and in the atmosphere after a nuclear bomb explodes or a reaction occurs at a damaged nuclear power plant. The dangers of this kind of fallout are enormous, including immediate death and long-term illness caused by breathing and eating the radioactive dust. Another kind of fallout is more figurative — it's any kind of negative effect or result, like the fallout from telling your family you're getting an enormous tattoo.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fallout fallouts

Acknowledging the potential fallout for workers and businesses, Tau said the government had retained measures introduced in response to US reciprocal tariffs and would support affected industries while stepping up efforts to diversify export markets.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Northern Ireland was represented by officials at the meeting amid the political fallout from the Drumcree parade dispute.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

The Mbappe furore and fallout is not an unfamiliar tale.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Did clubs all have the same vision for navigating the fallout from the financial crisis?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The new basement shelter had a four-inch-thick door, Army cots and canned food, a direct phone line to the Pentagon’s bomb shelter, and a shower to wash off radioactive fallout.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

So he’s not only talking about the blood sport of bullfighting or the endless fallouts from the partying.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Rising prices and a volatile currency have been among the major domestic economic fallouts of Moscow's four-year offensive on Ukraine, which has seen it hit with unprecedented packages of Western sanctions.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Few fallouts have spilled out into the open in recent years – and those that did were picked over simply because they're so rare.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2025

Bejarano cited recent articles by Times critic Mark Swed and New Yorker critic Alex Ross that indicted boards for some newsworthy artistic fallouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2024

"COVID-19 fallouts are pushing low-paid workers into even harder situations with little, or no, increase in pay," said Hisashi Yamada, senior economist at Japan Research Institute.

From Reuters ● Oct. 22, 2021

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