mortality

noun

mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈta-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being mortal

Her husband's death reminded her of her own mortality.

2

: the death of large numbers (as of people or animals)

trying to reduce infant mortality

3

archaic : death

4

: the human race

that natural extinction to which all mortality is subject

—Thomas Paine

5

a

: the number of deaths in a population during a given time or place : the proportion of deaths to population : mortality rate

The mortality among the infected mounted daily.

b

: the number lost or the rate of loss or failure

the mortality rate of small businesses

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Thoughts on Mortality

Young people tend to assume they will never die, but a person's sense of his or her mortality generally increases year by year, and often increases greatly after a serious accident or illness. Still, many people refuse to change behaviors that would improve their chances of living into old age. Mortality rates are calculated by government agencies, insurance companies, and medical researchers. Infant mortality rates (the rate at which infants die in childbirth) provide a good indicator of a country's overall health; in recent years, the rates in countries like Iceland, Singapore, and Japan have been much better than in the U.S.

Examples of mortality in a Sentence

a leading cause of mortality

Recent Examples on the Web

Providers and health experts say the April 9 decision will increase maternal mortality and put more Arizonans at risk of staying in abusive relationships and becoming economically unstable. —Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024

Since 1994, this hilly nation of about 14 million people has grown economically, significantly reduced maternal mortality and poverty and improved education and health access. —Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024

If reelected, Harris told the crowd, the administration would remain committed to making progress on environmental issues, maternal mortality and more. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024

Most of the sawfish mortalities have been in the lower Florida Keys, but wildlife agencies have begun to get reports of sawfish displaying similar symptoms outside of the Keys, including near Everglades National Park, Brame said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2024

The team gained access to every study participants’ demographic and mortality data from each country’s insurance database. —Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Both are African American, and in recent years both lost spouses to issues that have disproportionately affected the Black community in D.C. — gun violence and maternal mortality. —Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024

Black, Hispanic and Native American women have the highest incidence of cervical cancer, with the former facing the highest mortality. —Lipi Roy, Md, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Researchers found a strong association between a higher risk of all-cause mortality and sleeping fewer than seven hours a night. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mortality

• infant mortality
• mortality rate
• mortality table

Kids Definition

mortality

noun

mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural mortalities

1

: the quality or state of being mortal

2

: the death of large numbers (as of animals or people)

3

a

: the number of deaths in a given time or place

b

: the ratio of deaths occurring in a certain time in a given population to the number of individuals in the population

Medical Definition

mortality

noun

mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural mortalities

1

: the quality or state of being mortal

2

: the number of deaths in a population during a given time or place : the proportion of deaths to population : mortality rate compare morbidity sense 2