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

After Esther’s soul-searching decision to separate, the third season of the show, now streaming, tracks the fallout of their life apart.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

They never found him—and are still dealing with the fallout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Economies across the world have proved more resilient to the energy price shock caused by the US-Iran war, the IMF said, but it warned the economic fallout from the conflict remained "highly uncertain".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

That had been the ultimate incentive of emigration: the android servant as carrot, the radioactive fallout as stick.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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

Here's how to deal with festive fallouts and keep the peace this Christmas.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

Singapore has been hit by a series of political fallouts of late. last week, transport minister S Iswaran and hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng were arrested in a rare high-level graft probe.

From Reuters ● Jul. 17, 2023

Extended flashbacks fill in the various personal fallouts and professional disappointments that transpired during the 7,000 years in between.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2021

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