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
Examples of fatalism in a Sentence
Many people seem to have developed a sense of fatalism about the war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Show Notes Transcript In Washington, there is a growing fatalism that a confrontation with China is unavoidable—and perhaps even necessary.
—
Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2022
Longstreth approached the situation with a kind of fatalism.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The way that Pliny saw it, astrology was small-minded fatalism, in which people glommed onto meaningless symbols for a sense of identity.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
These steps will be necessary but not sufficient to pierce the growing fatalism regarding a crisis, given Beijing’s hardening belief that the United States seeks to contain China and will use Taiwan to that end.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
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Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2022
Longstreth approached the situation with a kind of fatalism.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
The way that Pliny saw it, astrology was small-minded fatalism, in which people glommed onto meaningless symbols for a sense of identity.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
These steps will be necessary but not sufficient to pierce the growing fatalism regarding a crisis, given Beijing’s hardening belief that the United States seeks to contain China and will use Taiwan to that end.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
Cite this Entry
“Fatalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatalism. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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fatalism
noun
fa·tal·ism
ˈfāt-ᵊl-ˌiz-əm
: the belief or attitude that events are decided in advance by powers beyond one's control
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