fatality
fuh-TAL-ih-tee
/fəˈtæl.ə.ti/
An occurrence of death by accident, in war, or from disease.
A more clinical and formal word than 'death', often used in statistics and safety reports.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'fatum', meaning 'that which has been spoken' (by the gods). It refers to one's destiny or fate. In the past, a 'fatality' was something destined to happen; now it specifically means a death.
Word relationships
- casualty: A casualty can be someone killed OR injured; a fatality is only someone killed.
- survivor: A person who remains alive after an event in which others have died.
Commonly confused with
- mortality: Mortality refers to the state of being subject to death; fatality refers to a specific death event.
Word family
- fatal (adjective): Causing death.
- fatally (adverb): In a way that causes death.
Collocations
- fatality rate
- workplace fatality
- zero fatalities
- traffic fatality
Example sentences
- "Fortunately, the car crash resulted in no fatalities, though both vehicles were totaled." Safety Statistics
- "The fatality rate of the new virus was lower than initially feared by health officials." Public Health
Memory hook
A 'Fatal' blow leads to a 'Fatality'. The end of fate.
When not to use
Don't use 'fatality' when talking about someone dying of old age in a personal context; it's too cold and technical.
Fun facts
- The term 'fatality' is famously used in the video game Mortal Kombat to describe a finishing move.
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