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

fatalist

ˈfā-tə-list 

noun

fatalistic

ˌfā-tə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

fatalistically

ˌfā-tə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of fatalism in a Sentence

Many people seem to have developed a sense of fatalism about the war.

Recent Examples on the Web

Speaking of everyone dying, are there any scenarios where fatalism might be reasonable? —Lee Billings, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2024

Their story as a couple did end, soon afterward… probably less romantically than the beautiful fatalism the song itself is enveloped in. —Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024

Is our fatalism undercutting our capacity to tackle this problem? —Sean Illing, Vox, 29 Sep. 2024

Hass, in the end, gave in to a reluctant fatalism: Jewish-Palestinian solidarity might be too fragile to withstand the war. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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

fatalist

-əst 

noun

fatalistic

ˌfāt-ᵊl-ˈis-tik 

adjective

fatalistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb