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

The book described a responsible capitalism free of zero-sum fatalism, and visionary enough to embrace a modernizing global north and south (and racially equitable United States). —New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

For starters, van der Lugt writes, pessimism is not the same as fatalism. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025

Even amidst the darkness of the burgeoning, as-yet-unnamed film noir movement in American cinema, Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street is a jolt of pure fatalism. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025

What awaits Kompany and Bayern? Slowly, some of the fatalism around Vincent Kompany’s appointment back in the summer is melting away. —Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fatalism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

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