mortality rate

noun

plural mortality rates
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate
an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
mortality rates of lung cancer patients
infectious disease mortality rates

Examples of mortality rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web San Diego County jails have had one of the highest mortality rates in California for years. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Physical sources of risk, such as hotter-than-usual summers which bring higher-than-usual mortality rates, are manifestations of global heating. Nina Seega, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 One tragic consequence: Alabama has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, according to a Milken Institute report last year. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 The maternal mortality rate was 2.4 times higher for Black and other women of color than for white women (42.3 per 100,000 live births for Black and other women of color, compared with18.0 for white women). Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Photo-illustration: Lauren Joseph; Getty Images In 2024, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the United States and the United Kingdom will grow, although postmortem reviews conclude that 80 percent of maternal deaths in high-income countries are preventable. Arline Geronimus, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024 Current estimates put the overall mortality rate at anywhere from 0.1 to 10 percent, depending on which clade is involved. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 According to a report issued by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, Black people have the highest mortality rate among nine of San Francisco’s top 10 causes of death. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 More specifically, the newspaper found that San Diego had the highest mortality rate among California’s largest county jail systems. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mortality rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mortality rate was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near mortality rate

Cite this Entry

“Mortality rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortality%20rate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

mortality rate

noun
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate
an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

mortality rates of liver cancer patients
an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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