lethality

American  

[lee-thal-i-tee] / liˈθæl ɪ ti /

Also lethalness

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.

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Etymology

Origin of lethality

lethal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Lynx eyes” evoke lethality; mischievous boys are “lynxes that nothing escapes.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

That surge in lethality underscores the potency of the high-tech but cheaply made drones.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

"This strain has a very high lethality rate, which can reach 50 percent."

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Or, it would be if we didn’t have so many cringe-inducing comments from Hegseth, such as: “maximum lethality, not tepid legality.”

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

His face was sphinx-like in its immobility but the cold lethality of his eyes was apparent even to the inexperienced tenderfoot, who was growing strangely uncomfortable for some indefinable reason.

From The Song of the Wolf by Mayer, Frank