mortality rate

American  

[mawr-tal-i-tee reyt] / mɔrˈtæl ɪ ti ˌreɪt /

noun

1. the relative frequency of deaths in a specific population during a specified time, often cited as the percentage of human deaths during a public health crisis, or of wildlife deaths due to environmental perils.

   Patients over the age of 80 had the highest mortality rate during the last flu season.

   The mortality rate of the bald eagle falls to about 25 percent after the first year of life.

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mortality rate British  

noun

1. another term for death rate

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Etymology

Origin of mortality rate

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

“Even though it’s much more rare, the mortality rate for men is 19% higher for breast cancer than for women,” says Ambrose.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

After analyzing health records, the team found that people who had both bladder cancer and colorblindness faced a 52% higher mortality rate over 20 years compared with bladder cancer patients who have normal vision.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

"What we found is that the mortality rate has consistently increased over time, in all of the different forest types," said Belinda Medlyn, a professor at Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

A separate Harvard-led study in 2024 found pilots had the fourth-highest mortality rate from Alzheimer’s out of 443 occupations in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Insecticides gave good control of flies in 1950 and during this same year the infant mortality rate was reduced by nearly 50 per cent.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson