fatalism

F4A1T1A1L1I1S1M3
/ˈfeɪ.təl.ɪz.əm/

noun

The doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable necessity, or determined in advance in such a way that human beings cannot alter them.

Similar
determinismkismetpredestinationpredeterminism
Opposite
free willfreedomindeterminism
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounfatalism (countable and uncountable, plural fatalisms)

plural fatalisms

  1. countableuncountablemetaphysicshuman sciencesThe doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable necessity, or determined in advance in such a way that human beings cannot alter them.

    Sure, maybe. We know — have long known — that romanticism and fatalism are dialectical lovers.

    2025 July 21, Jean Garnett, “The Trouble With Wanting Men”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 21 Jul 2025

    Synonyms: determinism, kismet, predestination, predeterminism · Antonyms: free will, freedom, indeterminism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable necessity, or determined in advance in such a way that human beings cannot alter them.

Similar
determinismkismetpredestinationpredeterminism
Opposite
free willfreedomindeterminism
Also see
determinism

Origin

From fatal + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan fatalisme
  • fatalismedoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Chinese Mandarin 宿命論 /宿命论
  • 宿命論 /宿命论 (sùmìnglùn)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Czech fatalismus
  • fatalismusdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Danish fatalisme, skæbnetro
  • fatalismedoctrine that all events are subject to fate
  • skæbnetrodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Dutch fatalisme
  • fatalismedoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Finnish fatalismi, kohtalousko
  • fatalismidoctrine that all events are subject to fate
  • kohtalouskodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
French fatalisme
  • fatalismedoctrine that all events are subject to fate
German Fatalismus
  • Fatalismusdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Greek φαταλισμός, μοιρολατρία
  • φαταλισμός (fatalismós)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
  • μοιρολατρία (moirolatría)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Hungarian fatalizmus
  • fatalizmusdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Icelandic forlagatrú
  • forlagatrúdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Indonesian kepasrahan
  • kepasrahandoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Italian fatalismo
  • fatalismodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Korean 운명론, 숙명론
  • 운명론 (unmyeongnon)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
  • 숙명론 (sungmyeongnon)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Polish fatalizm
  • fatalizmdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Portuguese fatalismo
  • fatalismodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Punjabi ਭਾਗਵਾਦ
  • ਭਾਗਵਾਦ (bhāgvād)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Romanian fatalism
  • fatalismdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Russian фатали́зм
  • фатали́зм (fatalízm)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Spanish fatalismo
  • fatalismodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Swedish fatalism, ödestro
  • fatalismdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
  • ödestrodoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Ukrainian фаталі́зм
  • фаталі́зм (fatalízm)doctrine that all events are subject to fate
Welsh tyngedfenyddiaeth
  • tyngedfenyddiaethdoctrine that all events are subject to fate
Cite this entry
APA

fatalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fatalism

MLA

“fatalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fatalism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fatalism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fatalism.

Source: fatalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.