fatality

noun

fa·​tal·​i·​ty fā-ˈta-lə-tē 

fə-

plural fatalities

1

a

: the quality or state of causing death or destruction

b

: the quality or condition of being destined for disaster

2

: something established by fate

3

a

: fate sense 1

b

: fatalism

4

: the agent or agency of fate

5

a

: death resulting from a disaster

b

: one that experiences a fatal outcome

Synonyms

• casualty
• loss
• prey
• victim

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

The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS. —Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2025

While this number was likely linked to the higher number of fatalities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend has not been reversed in the years following the end of the health emergency. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025

In the past 10 years, California has seen an average of 616 fatalities per year, data show. —Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2025

The death marks the second of a foreign climber on Mount Everest this year, and the fourth fatality. —Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French fatalité, from Late Latin fatalitat-, fatalitas, from Latin fatalis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fatality

• case fatality rate
• case fatality ratio
• fatality rate

Rhymes for fatality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality
• lethality

Kids Definition

fatality

noun

fa·​tal·​i·​ty fā-ˈtal-ət-ē 

fə-

plural fatalities

: a death resulting from a disaster or accident

Medical Definition

fatality

noun

fa·​tal·​i·​ty fā-ˈtal-ət-ē, fə- 

plural fatalities

1

: the quality or state of causing death or destruction : deadliness

the degree of fatality of a disease

2

a

: death resulting from a disaster

a car crash causing several fatalities

b

: one who suffers such a death

one of the fatalities was a small child