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
The big problem to me in the Party, at that point, was fatalism.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Such a strategy will resist the temptation of fatalism.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
But in 2025, the doomers are tilting closer and closer to a sort of fatalism.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Alien’s haunted-house horror gave way to Aliens’s action spectacle then Alien 3’s grim fatalism, then Resurrections’s comic-book goofiness.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Such a strategy will resist the temptation of fatalism.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2025
But in 2025, the doomers are tilting closer and closer to a sort of fatalism.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Alien’s haunted-house horror gave way to Aliens’s action spectacle then Alien 3’s grim fatalism, then Resurrections’s comic-book goofiness.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
Cite this Entry
“Fatalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatalism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share