mortality rate

noun

plural mortality rates

: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate

an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births

mortality rates of lung cancer patients

infectious disease mortality rates

Examples of mortality rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nor did von Foerster foresee the impacts of longer life expectancy and the sharp decline in child mortality rates. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Nov. 2026

Diffuse midline glioma is a devastating childhood cancer, with a very high mortality rate and very limited treatment options. — Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026

Indeed, studies have shown that leaving patients in the ER is dangerous and results in higher mortality rates. — Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026

In 1887, the Dawes Act severed Native people from ownership of much of their lands, disrupting a deep ecosystem and spiking mortality rates among Native people. — Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mortality rate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Medical Definition

mortality rate

noun

: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate

an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

mortality rates of liver cancer patients

an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births