fate

noun \ ˈfāt \

Definition of fate

1 :the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do :destiny

… fate sometimes deals a straight flush … he had no idea that he would become the right man in the right place at the right time …
—June Goodfield

2 a :an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end

Her fate was to remain in exile.

b :disaster; especially :death

The villain met his fate at the hands of the hero.

3 a :final outcome

Congress decided the bill's fate by a single vote.

b :the expected result of normal development

prospective fate of embryonic cells

c :the circumstances that befall someone or something

did not know the fate of her former classmates

4 Fates plural :the three goddesses, Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis, who determine the course of human life in classical mythology

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Examples of fate in a Sentence

… the fate of our species is bound up with those of countless others, with which we share a habitat that we cannot long dominate … —John Gray, Times Literary Supplement, 11 Sept. 1992
So what went wrong? I ask Syd again, glancing ahead to the inevitable end. What quirk of fate, this time round, Syd, checked the great man's stride? —John le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986
Often there is a specified character on whom a work hinges and whose fate we follow, a Raskolnikov or a Hamlet … —Robert Penn Warren, Democracy and Poetry, 1975
The money goes down one-two-three on the table, fives and tens and twenties, and the wheel begins to spin. Round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows. It's up to fate. Kismet, as they say. —Mordecai Richler, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, 1959
They thought they would never see each other again, but fate brought them back together.
a surprising turn of fate
One company went bankrupt, and a similar fate befell the other.
Her fate was sealed by the marriage arrangement made in her youth.

Recent Examples of fate from the Web

The four members attending the hearing will decide Simpson's fate.

— leada gore, AL.com, "O.J. Simpson parole: Troy graduate chairs panel hearing ex-football star's case," 19 July 2017
Rogers will still have final say on the fate of the club's liquor license, said village attorney John Murphy.

— alicia fabbre, Daily Southtown, "Retired judge to oversee liquor license hearing for troubled Club One nightclub," 19 July 2017
Although many view a jury summons as an inconvenience, the ability to quickly and efficiently call upon citizens of all backgrounds to come together and determine the fate of fellow citizens makes our legal system unique and emblematic.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: The importance of jury service," 19 July 2017
The forest’s fate, combined with the ice-core data from Greenland, suggests Katla was either erupting in 822, or had done so recently, and thus weakened the glacier.

— The Economist, "VolcanologyEvents in Iceland explain years of famine in Europe’s Dark Ages," 18 July 2017
In the latter case, the remaining 20 council members would determine Johnson's fate and need a two-thirds vote to remove him.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Dan Johnson: Metro Council members breaking ethics rules to 'handpick' my replacement," 17 July 2017
But this also makes witnessing these creatures’ fates that much more disquieting.

— jon niccum, kansascity, "‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ looks so real it’s downright disturbing," 13 July 2017
As fate would have it, Terry and Candy had a giant fight.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hey, hey! Mark Lindsay, Micky Dolenz set for 'Fifty Summers of Love'," 11 July 2017
Just from the first glimpse of footage, Styles fans around the world have been deeply concerned about the fictional fate of their favorite boy band member turned WWII-era British soldier.

— matt miller, Esquire, "We Should All Be Prepared to Watch Harry Styles Die in Dunkirk," 6 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of fate

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin fatum, literally, what has been spoken, from neuter of fatus, past participle of fari to speak — more at ban

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First Known Use: 14th century

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fate Synonyms

Synonyms

circumstance, destiny, doom, fortune, kismet, lot, portion

Antonyms

antecedent, causation, cause, occasion, reason

Related Words

accident, casualty [archaic], chance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck; predestination; aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, development, effect, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot

Near Antonyms

consideration, determinant, factor; base, basis, foundation, ground, groundwork; impetus, incentive, inspiration, instigation, stimulus; mother, origin, root, source, spring

Synonym Discussion of fate

fate, destiny, lot, portion, doom mean a predetermined state or end. fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

- the fate of the submarine is unknown

destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

- the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance

- it was her lot to die childless

, portion implying the apportioning of good and evil.

- remorse was his daily portion

doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

- if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

fate

verb \ ˈfāt \

Definition of fate

fated; fating

transitive verb

:destine; also :doom

Examples of fate in a Sentence

Given what was going on when the magazine was started, Utne Reader seems fated to have happened—it was simply an idea that fit the times. —Eric Utne, Utne Reader, March/April 1994
It was during this interregnum between the acquisition of regional power and the actual use of it that Henderson was fated to enter the picture. —Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993
Who are my viewing companions at this hour? Dazed and confused, we are isolated in sunken couches, empty beds and cheap hotel rooms across this crumbling nation, one through MTV but fated never to meet. —Hugh Gallagher, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 1993
the warning that the lack of an advanced education will fate a person to a lifetime of below-average earnings

Origin and Etymology of fate

see ¹fate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1601

See Words from the same year

fate Synonyms

Synonyms

doom, destine, foredoom, foreordain, ordain, predestine, predetermine, preordain

Related Words

predestinate; augur, forecast, foretell, predict, presage, prognosticate, prophesy; preconceive, prejudge; condemn, sentence; bode, forebode (also forbode), portend; anticipate, divine, foreknow, foresee

FATE Defined for English Language Learners

fate

noun

Definition of fate for English Language Learners

: a power that is believed to control what happens in the future
: the things that will happen to a person or thing : the future that someone or something will have