Fates

British

/ feɪts /

plural noun

Greek myth the three goddesses who control the destinies of the lives of man, which are likened to skeins of thread that they spin, measure out, and at last cut See Atropos Clotho Lachesis
Norse myth the Norns See Norn 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

In Greek mythology The Fates are three women who control the thread of human life, deciding how long a person lives.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Klotho is a protein named after one of the three Fates from Greek mythology, who spun the thread of life.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

“They’re tight. Fates are intertwined. It’s unselfish. Nothing anyone is doing is for themselves.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2025

Sometimes, as they are holding hands or crawling together, their three-ness seems significant, a hint of the Fates.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2022

Fates, please don’t let her be like Dad.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023