lethality

[ lee-thal-i-tee ]

noun

1. the capacity to cause great harm, destruction, or death:

   Many pathogens are self-limited by their own lethality—the host dies before it has a chance to spread the pathogen.

2. the likelihood of causing great harm, destruction, or death:

   Mutations can increase or decrease lethality, but most viruses mutate to less lethal forms.

3. death:

   Prion diseases, such as so-called “mad cow,” are characterized by neurodegeneration and lethality.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lethality¹

lethal ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

About an hour after the high court’s action, Hall was put to death by lethal injection in the Bureau of Prison’s facility in Terre Haute, Ind.

From Washington Post

That trio would represent the best top-end talent in the Eastern Conference and offer a lethal combination of scoring, playmaking and shooting to Steve Nash, the Nets’ new coach.

From Washington Post

The Justice Department has carried out more lethal injections in the past four months than the total number the federal government executed over the previous three decades.

From Washington Post

However, research has found that after farmers target wolves with lethal management, the canids increasingly prey on their neighbors' livestock.

From Popular-Science

Patient advocates counter that too much went wrong once the virus was inside, lethal containment lapses that should have been cited by inspectors.

From Washington Post

Zyklon B, a gas used by the Nazis in the death camps, is a haunting example of the rapid lethality of one form, hydrogen cyanide.

From The Daily Beast

But the Boston bombings are still somewhat unusual for their lethality and success in America.

From The Daily Beast

But the volatility of the Syria situation and the lethality of the weapons involved justify such an initiative.

From The Daily Beast

True, the study strongly demonstrates the lethality of obesity.

From The Daily Beast

There is a lot that could be done to reduce the frequency and lethality of such crimes.

From The Daily Beast