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

• victim
• casualty

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

Officials in northeastern Kharkiv oblast, or region, reported four fatalities and 14 wounded; in neighboring, central Dnipropetrovsk oblast, four individuals lost their lives, with 10 others injured. —Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

The attack marked the fourth fatality of its kind in the continent's waters this year and the first of its kind in the city since 2022, according to data from Sydney's Taronga Zoo and the Australian Shark-Incident Database. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025

The crash is the city’s 49th traffic fatality of the year. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025

The roads became thick with mud, the numbers in his Company were diminishing, and on a night in June the Company advanced to dig a further trench, only to retreat again immediately having not made a lick of progress—but not without suffering the fatality of his friend, Thomas. —Alice Vernon september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 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