fatality

American  

[fey-tal-i-tee, fuh-] / feɪˈtæl ɪ ti, fə- /

noun

• fatalities
  plural

1. a disaster resulting in death.

2. a death resulting from such an occurrence.

   a rise in highway fatalities.

3. the quality of causing death or disaster; a fatal influence; deadliness.

4. predetermined liability to disaster, misfortune, etc..

   a fatality for saying the wrong thing.

5. the quality of being predetermined by or subject to fate.

   There is a fatality in human affairs that leads to destruction.

6. the fate or destiny of a person or thing.

   Death is the ultimate fatality of all human beings.

7. a fixed, unalterably predetermined course of things; inevitability.

   to resign oneself to the fatality of life.

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fatality British  

/ fəˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. an accident or disaster resulting in death

2. a person killed in an accident or disaster

3. the power of causing death or disaster; deadliness

4. the quality or condition of being fated

5. something caused or dictated by fate

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfatality
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fatalities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fatality

From the Late Latin word fātālitās, dating back to 1480–90. See fatal, -ity

Explanation

If you hear on your car radio that there has been a traffic accident up ahead with one fatality, you should be very thankful you were not involved. A fatality is, quite simply and grimly, a human death. You will often hear fatality used in conjunction with the aftermath of a disaster, natural or otherwise. For example, a news broadcaster may say, "We have received reports of at least one fatality as a result of the storm." Fatality has its roots in the Latin word fatalis, meaning "decreed by fate." When it comes to fatality, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can certainly be ill-fated.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fatality fatalities

“By some cursed fatality we could never draw together,” Clinton wrote after Howe repeatedly changed his battle plans, leading to the catastrophic British defeat at Saratoga in October 1777.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

According to the latest official figures, more than 1,000 cases have been recorded, including 267 deaths, representing a fatality rate of around 25 percent.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involves Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which has a reported fatality rate of 30% to 50%.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

It is the first fatality at the Donegal International Rally since three-time winner Manus Kelly died in a crash in 2019.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

This was the same kind of fatality rate as was seen with the black plague during the Middle Ages.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Although reporting on incidents has grown, the feeling in the sport is that there are more fatalities now as speeds increase.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Add in scooters, and fatalities stand at 20, up from 13 last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

He attributes the fact that no fatalities have been reported in part to the seriousness with which residents and public safety personnel have handled evacuations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

"The latest figure that we have is 72," the government's delegate to Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez Triano, told reporters, when asked about the number of fatalities.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Secretary LaHood, tall and genial, a former Illinois congressman, had begun focusing himself, and his agency, on the issue of preventable traffic fatalities, especially those caused by use of technology by drivers.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• accident
• casualty
• disaster
• mortality