fate
Americannoun
-
something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot.
It is always his fate to be left behind.
-
the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time.
Fate decreed that they would never meet again.
-
that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny.
Death is our ineluctable fate.
-
a prophetic declaration of what must be.
The oracle pronounced their fate.
-
death, destruction, or ruin.
-
Classical Mythology. the Fates, the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events
-
the inevitable fortune that befalls a person or thing; destiny
-
the end or final result
-
a calamitous or unfavourable outcome or result; death, destruction, or downfall
verb
Related Words
Fate, destiny, doom refer to the idea of a fortune, usually adverse, that is predetermined and inescapable. The three words are frequently interchangeable. Fate stresses the irrationality and impersonal character of events: It was Napoleon's fate to be exiled. The word is often lightly used, however: It was my fate to meet her that very afternoon. Destiny emphasizes the idea of an unalterable course of events, and is often used of a propitious fortune: It was his destiny to save his nation. Doom especially applies to the final ending, always unhappy or terrible, brought about by destiny or fate: He met his doom bravely.
Etymology
Origin of fate
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin fātum “what has been spoken, utterance, decree of fate, destiny,” originally neuter of fātus, past participle of fārī “to speak”
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.
Investors’ primary concern, however, is the fate of the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
“But the court sees fit to bring us one step closer to that fate today.”
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
As she worked on Go Gentle, her heroine turned into a sage who desired only what she had and cheerily accepted whatever fate threw at her.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The characters’ fate is predestined by cat-and-mouse conventions, and there are no big surprises when watching the parts come together.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
Seven hoped she would be okay while guiltily feeling sorry for her future self if her fate looked anything like Pixel’s.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
