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Definition of "fatality" []

  • A death resulting from an accident or a disaster: highway fatalities. (noun)
  • One that is killed as a result of such an occurrence: The driver was one of the fatalities. (noun)
  • The ability to cause death or disaster. (noun)
  • The quality of being determined by fate. (noun)
  • A decree made by fate; destiny. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "fatality" in a sentence
  • "When a traffic fatality is due to reckless driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a manslaughter charge can be warranted"
  • "The fact that the Tomlinson fatality is such a rarity, only demonstrates how professional a job the police do in protecting life and preserving property."
  • "But for accidents involving radiation, there were something like 200 entries per year, in spite of there not having been a single fatality from a radiation accident for over a decade."