fatality
Americannoun
plural
fatalities-
a disaster resulting in death.
-
a death resulting from such an occurrence.
a rise in highway fatalities.
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the quality of causing death or disaster; a fatal influence; deadliness.
-
predetermined liability to disaster, misfortune, etc..
a fatality for saying the wrong thing.
-
the quality of being predetermined by or subject to fate.
There is a fatality in human affairs that leads to destruction.
-
the fate or destiny of a person or thing.
Death is the ultimate fatality of all human beings.
-
a fixed, unalterably predetermined course of things; inevitability.
to resign oneself to the fatality of life.
noun
-
an accident or disaster resulting in death
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a person killed in an accident or disaster
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the power of causing death or disaster; deadliness
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the quality or condition of being fated
-
something caused or dictated by fate
Other Word Forms
- nonfatality noun
Etymology
Origin of fatality
From the Late Latin word fātālitās, dating back to 1480–90. See fatal, -ity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Influenza can lead to complications and fatalities, especially in people 65 years and older or under 5 with fever, cough and sore throat.
From Los Angeles Times
Since 2010, fatalities and serious injuries related to speeding and aggressive driving have increased by 52%, according to the California Department of Transportation.
From Los Angeles Times
Four days on from the disaster, Swiss police announced all 116 people wounded in the deadly fire had now been identified, alongside the 40 fatalities, most of whom were teenagers.
From Barron's
The storm system comes on the heels of a Christmas holiday deluge that caused fatalities, spurred swift-water rescues and toppled trees.
From Los Angeles Times
According to data from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been about 230 documented shark incidents statewide since 1950, with just 17 fatalities.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
