mortality

[ mawr-tal-i-tee ]

noun

, plural mor·tal·i·ties.

1. the state or condition of being subject to death; mortal character, nature, or existence.
2. the relative frequency of deaths in a specific population; death rate.
3. mortal beings collectively; humanity.
4. death or destruction on a large scale, as from war, plague, or famine.
5. Obsolete. death.

mortality

/ mɔːˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being mortal
2. great loss of life, as in war or disaster
3. the number of deaths in a given period
4. mankind; humanity
5. See death
   an obsolete word for death

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortality¹

1300–50; Middle English mortalite < Middle French < Latin mortālitās. See mortal, -ity

Example Sentences

Khat “contributes to the family breakdown in our society, and it increases morbidity and mortality resulting from khat consumption,” says Awale.

From Ozy

Sorting out the causes of age and race disparities in colorectal cancer incidences and mortalities, and understanding the nature of the disease more thoroughly, will take time.

From No Straight News

To forecast population, you need to look at three factors—fertility, mortality, and migration.

From Nautilus

According to the paper, the UN uses trends from the past to predict how fertility and mortality will evolve across countries in the future.

From Singularity Hub 

In simulations of epidemics with a low rate of transmission, widespread mask wearing is “very, very effective at reducing hospitalizations and mortality,” he says.

From Science News

With a mortality rate of 70 percent, the more cases that arise, the deadlier this epidemic becomes.

From The Daily Beast

Advanced maternal age dramatically increases the risk of maternal mortality as well as birth defects like Down Syndrome.

From The Daily Beast

That data (collected in 2012 and 2013) is obsolete: Jesse Logan confirms both areas are “now showing significant mortality.”

From The Daily Beast

Current human-caused grizzly mortality is at a near record high: 56 killed in 2012.

From The Daily Beast

Experts generally consider known mortality to represent about half of actual grizzly bear deaths for the ecosystem.

From The Daily Beast

He explains the late departure of the ships for Nueva España, and the consequent mortality reported on one of them.

From Project Gutenberg

Seen in this light, infant mortality and the cruel wastage of disease were viewed with complacence.

From Project Gutenberg

With what power would come the promise of the resurrection of the body, amid the crumbling relics of mortality!

From Project Gutenberg

We might read between the lines his noble love of mankind, his compassion for our helplessness, our mortality and pettiness.

From Project Gutenberg

Where such cases occur, patients should be fully prepared for the worst As a rule, the mortality is from 40 to 70 per centum.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fatality

Mortality Vs. Morbidity

What’s the difference between mortality and morbidity?

In a medical context, the word mortality refers to relative frequency of deaths in a specific population or location (sometimes called the mortality rate), while the word morbidity refers to the incidence or prevalence of a disease in a specific population or location (sometimes called the morbidity rate).

The related word cormorbidity is used in medical contexts to refer to the state of having multiple medical conditions at the same time.

In this context, morbidity relates to sickness, while mortality relates to death.

Both morbidity and mortality are also used in nontechnical ways. Morbidity is the noun form of the adjective morbid, which most commonly means excessively gloomy or having an unusual interest in dark subjects, like death. Morbidity, then, can be used to refer to the quality of having this interest, as in Her latest novel lacks the morbidity of her earlier works. 

Mortality, on the other hand, most commonly refers to the state or condition of being subject to death, as in Humans are aware of their own mortality. The opposite of this is immortality—unending life.

Here’s an example of mortality and morbidity used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: Studies show that while the morbidity in the region remains quite high, the mortality rate from the disease has continued to drop. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between mortality and morbidity.

Quiz yourself on mortality vs. morbidity!

Should mortality or morbidity be used in the following sentence?

It is hoped that the vaccination program will decrease _____ among the population, and, as a result, reduce the number of deaths from the disease.