fatalism

noun

fa·tal·ism ˈfā-tə-ˌli-zəm

: a doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them

also : a belief in or attitude determined by this doctrine

fatalism that regards social problems as simply inevitable

fatalist

ˈfā-tə-list

noun

fatalistic

ˌfā-tə-ˈli-stik

adjective

fatalistically

ˌfā-tə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Example Sentences

Many people seem to have developed a sense of fatalism about the war.

Recent Examples on the Web That suspended state resonates with most poignancy in O’Connor’s affecting performance, floating between open-heartedness and fatalism, between the comforting escape of dreams and the sadness of reality. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 May 2023 Her generation is bordering on almost fatalism on the whole subject. —

Detroit Free Press, 25 Apr. 2023 Indeed, the show’s ace up its sleeve is its wicked (and, with its pitch-black fatalism, notably British) sense of humor. —

Liam Hess, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2023 Last November, fear turned to fatalism. —

Jeffrey Ball, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2021 Such fatalism is opposed to the spirit of Remarque’s novel, which does float the possibility of change, even if Paul Bäumer will not live to see it. —

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2023 Against this backdrop, a sense of fatalism came into vogue, making contemplation of climate apocalypse a lucrative pursuit for writers of all stripes. —

Kyle Paoletta, Harper’s Magazine , 13 Mar. 2023 This fatalism is understandable. —

John Horgan, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2022 That, too, stands in the way of fatalism. —

David Remnick, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2022 See More

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