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.
It refutes the thesis of a “clash of civilizations,” to which so many weak minds resign themselves as though it were fate.
As for the fictional Gad’s fate after getting trapped inside DeMarr, Gad says he is “somehow … still alive.”
From Los Angeles Times
You may find yourself amazed at the level of emotional investment these scenes elicit, and all over the fate of a bug.
From Salon
Beyond the personal fates they will determine, the outcome of the civil litigation Cook and others are spearheading will likely force whatever transparency and accountability can be pulled from these chaotic and troubling times.
From Los Angeles Times
The families of 16 Indian seafarers held in Iran since December say they are anxious about the fate of their loved ones as the geopolitical situation in the region remains tense.
From BBC
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.
