mortality

noun

mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈta-lə-tē How to pronounce mortality (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being mortal
Her husband's death reminded her of her own mortality.
2
: the death of large numbers (as of people or animals)
trying to reduce infant mortality
3
archaic : death
4
: the human race
that natural extinction to which all mortality is subjectThomas Paine
5
a
: the number of deaths in a population during a given time or place : the proportion of deaths to population : mortality rate
The mortality among the infected mounted daily.
b
: the number lost or the rate of loss or failure
the mortality rate of small businesses

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Thoughts on Mortality

Young people tend to assume they will never die, but a person's sense of his or her mortality generally increases year by year, and often increases greatly after a serious accident or illness. Still, many people refuse to change behaviors that would improve their chances of living into old age. Mortality rates are calculated by government agencies, insurance companies, and medical researchers. Infant mortality rates (the rate at which infants die in childbirth) provide a good indicator of a country's overall health; in recent years, the rates in countries like Iceland, Singapore, and Japan have been much better than in the U.S.

Examples of mortality in a Sentence

a leading cause of mortality
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Among infants, these disparities in mortality were driven largely by sudden unexpected infant death and prematurity. Maria Godoy, NPR, 8 July 2025 There's direct mortality from equipment, earthmoving vehicles—such as turtles and cactuses getting crushed. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025 In states such as Georgia and Texas that were late in adopting the extended postpartum coverage to 12 months, women experience delayed or no prenatal care and face high rates of maternal mortality. Natasha Williams, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025 And those who sleep outside are three times more likely to die than those who do not, a National Economics Research report estimating U.S. homeless population mortality shows. Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for mortality

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mortality was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mortality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortality. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mortality

noun
mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈtal-ət-ē How to pronounce mortality (audio)
plural mortalities
1
: the quality or state of being mortal
2
: the death of large numbers (as of animals or people)
3
a
: the number of deaths in a given time or place
b
: the ratio of deaths occurring in a certain time in a given population to the number of individuals in the population

Medical Definition

mortality

noun
mor·​tal·​i·​ty mȯr-ˈtal-ət-ē How to pronounce mortality (audio)
plural mortalities
1
: the quality or state of being mortal
2
: the number of deaths in a population during a given time or place : the proportion of deaths to population : mortality rate compare morbidity sense 2
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