death rate

noun

plural death rates
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population 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 : mortality rate
an annual death rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude death 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 death rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

an infant death rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
Ebola is infamous for being highly contagious and causing death rates as high as 90 percent in some human outbreaks.Brendan Borrell

Examples of death rate in a Sentence

There was a decline in the country's death rate after its health care improved. Lung cancer death rates are up. The death rate from accidents is rising.
Recent Examples on the Web The infant mortality rate also increased, while the death rate for all other age groups decreased. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The death rate in the U.S. decreased from 879.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2021 to 798.8 in 2022, a 9.2% drop. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024 With Gaza on the brink of famine; children already dying of starvation, according to the United Nations; and aid supplies slowed by Israeli restrictions, the malnutrition death rate is expected to rise in the coming weeks. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 The opioid overdose death rate in men aged 20-39 in Dearborn has reached four times the national average, and over 2.5 times the state average, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Unnecessary Treatments ‘Derive No Benefit’ So far, research hasn’t proven that finding more early-stage melanomas can lower the number of advanced or thicker melanomas or reduce death rates, Chu explained. Syeda Khaula Saad, Verywell Health, 28 Feb. 2024 Pandemic success Japan’s pandemic management was widely viewed as a major success, with the country able to keep its death rate low without the government ever officially imposing lockdowns. Kanoko Matsuyama, Fortune Well, 5 Feb. 2024 Some countries that already have low birth and death rates are facing these issues today. Alice Sun, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024 Black women face very high death rates from breast cancer, when compared to white women, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death rate was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near death rate

Cite this Entry

“Death rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20rate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

death rate

noun
: the proportion of deaths in a population that is often expressed as the number of individuals that die in a year per thousand individuals in the population at the beginning of the year

Medical Definition

death rate

noun
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : mortality rate
an annual death rate of 715 deaths per 100,000 individuals

Note: A crude death 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 death rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

an infant death rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
The pravastatin group had a 24% lower death rate than the placebo group.Harvard Health Letter
Ebola is infamous for being highly contagious and causing death rates as high as 90 percent in some human outbreaks.Brendan Borrell, Scientific American
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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