fate

1 of 2

noun

1
: the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do : destiny
fate sometimes deals a straight flush … he had no idea that he would become the right man in the right place at the right time …June Goodfield
2
a
: an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end
Her fate was to remain in exile.
b
: disaster
especially : death
The villain met his fate at the hands of the hero.
3
a
: final outcome
Congress decided the bill's fate by a single vote.
b
: the expected result of normal development
prospective fate of embryonic cells
c
: the circumstances that befall someone or something
did not know the fate of her former classmates
4
Fates plural : the three goddesses, Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis, who determine the course of human life in classical mythology

fate

2 of 2

verb

fated; fating
Choose the Right Synonym for fate

fate, destiny, lot, portion, doom mean a predetermined state or end.

fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

the fate of the submarine is unknown

destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance

it was her lot to die childless

, portion implying the apportioning of good and evil.

remorse was his daily portion

doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

Examples of fate in a Sentence

Noun … the fate of our species is bound up with those of countless others, with which we share a habitat that we cannot long dominate … John Gray, Times Literary Supplement, 11 Sept. 1992
So what went wrong? I ask Syd again, glancing ahead to the inevitable end. What quirk of fate, this time round, Syd, checked the great man's stride? John le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986
Often there is a specified character on whom a work hinges and whose fate we follow, a Raskolnikov or a Hamlet … Robert Penn Warren, Democracy and Poetry, 1975
The money goes down one-two-three on the table, fives and tens and twenties, and the wheel begins to spin. Round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows. It's up to fate. Kismet, as they say. Mordecai Richler, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, 1959
They thought they would never see each other again, but fate brought them back together. a surprising turn of fate One company went bankrupt, and a similar fate befell the other. Her fate was sealed by the marriage arrangement made in her youth. Verb Given what was going on when the magazine was started, Utne Reader seems fated to have happened—it was simply an idea that fit the times. Eric Utne, Utne Reader, March/April 1994
It was during this interregnum between the acquisition of regional power and the actual use of it that Henderson was fated to enter the picture. Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993
Who are my viewing companions at this hour? Dazed and confused, we are isolated in sunken couches, empty beds and cheap hotel rooms across this crumbling nation, one through MTV but fated never to meet. Hugh Gallagher, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 1993
the warning that the lack of an advanced education will fate a person to a lifetime of below-average earnings
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Will his fate be at the heart of an entire episode? Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024 The entities’ fates were inextricably linked then, but there are key factors that could spare one of them as United undergoes an FAA probe of its own. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024 But the fate of U.S. aid to Ukraine, which is running low on ammunition in its war with Russia, remains unsettled. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024 Councilmembers will decide the fate of the case April 9. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Gonzaga would suffer the same fate as myriad No. 5 seeds before them? Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 One of the biggest flashpoints between the two leaders is the fate of the Rafah, located on Gaza's 7.5-mile border with Egypt − which is the only crossing that isn't controlled by Israel. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Boosters of the Virginia arena plan have said the teams would not follow that fate thanks to its different ownership structure. Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 At the destination wedding on the Emerald Isle, Maddie impulsively makes a wish that alters the fates of the trio. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
It’s made to be perched atop your head and, thanks to a sound brick, will deem what house you’re fated to. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024 Her hardscrabble youth is marked by intense memories that fated her to a life of performance. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2024 But where Weed were fated to remain underground heroes, Cartwheel is poised to be Anderson’s breakthrough. Quinn Moreland, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2023 After that, your journey is mostly fated to what seasonal seafood lurks in the depths of the open kitchen. Ben Jarrell, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 So much of this history involves things that have gone missing—swept away by cruelty, indifference, the ruthless reaping of time—that it seems fated to remain full of lacunae. Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023 Some Ukrainians fear that the entire country is now fated to become like the Donbas, where accused collaborators and patriots still distrust and despise one another, nearly 10 years after the conflict there. James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Now the oil-rich country will forever have its name on a major climate deal, fated to be repeated over and over in diplomatic spaces for years to come. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2023 The franchise follows a panda named Po (Jack Black), who, in the first film, is fated to become the prophesied Dragon Warrior, the only kung fu master capable of defeating the evil Tai Lung. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin fatum, literally, what has been spoken, from neuter of fatus, past participle of fari to speak — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fate was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fate

Cite this Entry

“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fate

1 of 2 noun
1
: a power beyond one's control that is believed to decide what happens
2
: something that happens as though decided by fate
3
: a final result
4
plural capitalized : the three goddesses in classical mythology who decide the course of human life

fate

2 of 2 verb
fated; fating

Medical Definition

fate

noun
: the expected result of normal development
prospective fate of embryonic cells

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