fatality

noun

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fa·tal·i·ty | \ fā-ˈta-lə-tē

, fə- \

plural fatalities

Definition of fatality

1a : the quality or state of causing death or destruction

b : the quality or condition of being destined for disaster

2 : something established by fate

3a : fate sense 1

b : fatalism

4 : the agent or agency of fate

5a : death resulting from a disaster

b : one that experiences a fatal outcome

Synonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing fatality Learn More About fatality

Examples of fatality in a Sentence

The car crash caused one fatality and several serious injuries. the grim reminder that every holiday weekend inevitably results in a slew of highway fatalities

Recent Examples on the Web Although good news was slim, Vose also noted that 41% of all U.S. counties had experienced a natural disaster, and 688 people died last year in the U.S. as a result of a disaster — the highest fatality count for the country via disaster in a decade. — Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Jan. 2022 The Davis Polk investigators confirmed news reports that the state Department of Health wanted to include those hospital deaths in the state's nursing home fatality count. — Celina Tebor, USA TODAY, 23 Nov. 2021 The Davis Polk investigators confirmed press reports that the state Department of Health wanted to include those hospital deaths in the state's nursing home fatality count. — Fox News, 20 Nov. 2021 More Oregonians died from COVID-19 complications in the past three months than during any similar timeframe of the pandemic, exceeding the fatality count from last fall and winter. — oregonlive, 2 Nov. 2021 The fatality count was expected to rise as Haitians frantically searched for hundreds of people still missing on Sunday. — Ryan Dube, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2021 In an effort to come up with a more reliable fatality count, reporters with the Indigenous Investigative Collective made multiple public-records requests for death records held by state medical examiners of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. — Anchorage Daily News, 21 June 2021 Fifteen more people were reported dead from COVID-19 Saturday, bringing to 8,462 the disease’s fatality count in Maryland, the data shows. — Alex Mann, baltimoresun.com, 24 Apr. 2021 Last racing year, the track had reduced its fatality count to 16. — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatality.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.