fatality
gb/fətˈælɪti/ us/fətˈælɪti/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
event
1
a death in an accident
a death, often in an accident or disaster
Usage pattern:
[number] fatality/fatalities (in [event/place])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse fatality (a death) with fatal (an adjective meaning causing death).
Synonyms
death (More general; fatality is common in reports about accidents or violence.)
|
loss of life (More formal and often used collectively.)
Antonyms
survival (The person lives rather than dies.)
Collocations
a fatality occurred
|a fatality was reported
|a fatality in the crash
|a workplace fatality
|a traffic fatality
|a road fatality
|civilian fatalities
|fatalities and injuries
|confirmed fatalities
|prevent fatalities
Themes
news
|health
|safety
|law_and_crime
Examples
- The storm caused three fatalities along the coast.
- Police confirmed one fatality in the multi-vehicle crash.
- The building collapse resulted in multiple fatalities.
Learner examples
- There was one fatality in the accident.
- The fire caused two fatalities.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
2
a person who was killed
a person who died in an accident or attack
Usage pattern:
one of the fatalities (from [event])
Common mistake:
Do not use fatality for someone who is injured but alive; use injured person or casualty instead.
Synonyms
victim (More personal and broader; can include non-fatal harm.)
|
casualty (Can mean injured or killed; fatality refers only to deaths.)
Antonyms
survivor (A person who lived through the incident.)
Collocations
one of the fatalities
|identify the fatalities
|the fatalities were named
|the fatalities included
|families of the fatalities
Themes
news
|health
|safety
|law_and_crime
Examples
- Two of the fatalities were children, officials said.
- The identities of the fatalities have not yet been released.
- Several fatalities were tourists visiting the area.
Learner examples
- The news reported three fatalities.
- One of the fatalities was a driver.
Noun
formal
C1
quantity
3
the number of people killed
how many people died
Usage pattern:
fatalities (from [event]) rose to [number]
Common mistake:
Fatalities is often plural when meaning a total number; learners may incorrectly use it as an adjective (e.g., 'fatalities accident').
Synonyms
death toll (Very common for totals after disasters or conflicts.)
|
mortality (More technical and often broader (e.g., mortality in a population).)
Antonyms
zero deaths (No one died.)
Collocations
fatalities rose to
|fatalities climbed
|fatalities dropped
|fatalities remain unknown
|fatalities are expected to
|fatalities were avoided
|report fatalities
|estimate fatalities
Themes
news
|statistics
|health
|safety
Examples
- After the second quake, fatalities rose to at least 200.
- Officials warned that fatalities could increase as search teams reach remote villages.
- The report compares annual fatalities across different industries.
Learner examples
- Fatalities increased after the storm.
- The city reported zero fatalities.
Noun
formal
C2
property
4
the quality of causing death
how likely something is to cause death
Usage pattern:
the fatality of [disease/poison/weapon]
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than 'a death' and is mainly used in technical or formal writing.
Synonyms
lethality (More technical, often used in scientific contexts.)
|
deadliness (More general and descriptive.)
Antonyms
harmlessness (Not able to cause harm or death.)
Collocations
the fatality of the disease
|the fatality of the toxin
|fatality varies
|reduce fatality
Themes
health
|science
|safety
Examples
- Researchers compared the fatality of different strains of the virus.
- The report discusses the fatality of the pesticide at high doses.
Learner examples
- This chemical has high fatality at large doses.
Noun
literary
C2
abstract
5
the power of fate
the feeling that fate controls events
Usage pattern:
a sense of fatality
Common mistake:
This meaning is rare in modern everyday English; most uses refer to deaths in accidents or violence.
Synonyms
fatalism (The standard modern term for this idea.)
Antonyms
free will (The belief that choices, not fate, control outcomes.)
Collocations
a sense of fatality
|the fatality of the moment
|an air of fatality
Themes
literature
|beliefs
Examples
- The novel is filled with a sense of fatality, as if the ending cannot be changed.
- He spoke with quiet fatality, convinced that disaster was inevitable.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fatality
IPA
GB/fətˈælɪti/
US/fətˈælɪti/
Syllables & stress
fatal - ity (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ity)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fatality
- Plural: fatalities, fatality
Word family
Expressions
fatality rate
1/fətˈælɪti ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
formal
rate of deaths in a group
the percentage or rate of deaths
Examples
- Doctors are monitoring the fatality rate among hospitalized patients.
- The fatality rate dropped after the introduction of effective treatments.
- Different countries report different fatality rates depending on testing and reporting.
mass fatality incident
1/mˈæs fətˈælɪti ˈɪnsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
technical
event with many deaths
a disaster where many people die
Examples
- Hospitals reviewed their plans for a mass fatality incident.
- The agency conducted a drill to prepare for a mass fatality incident.
no fatalities
1/nˈoʊ fətˈælɪtiz/
fixed phrase
formal
no one was killed
nobody died
Examples
- There were no fatalities, but several people were treated for smoke inhalation.
- Despite major damage, officials reported no fatalities.
- The airline said there were no fatalities among passengers.
result in fatalities
1/ɹɪzˈʌlt ˈɪn fətˈælɪtiz/
fixed phrase
formal
cause deaths to happen
to cause people to die
Examples
- The explosion resulted in two fatalities and dozens of injuries.
- The heatwave resulted in fatalities among vulnerable residents.
traffic fatalities
1/tɹˈæfɪk fətˈælɪtiz/
fixed phrase
formal
deaths from road accidents
people who die in car or road accidents
Examples
- Traffic fatalities have fallen since the new speed limits were introduced.
- The city launched a campaign to reduce traffic fatalities.
- Alcohol is a factor in many traffic fatalities.