fatalism
noun
fa·tal·ism
ˈfā-tə-ˌli-zəm 
: a doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them
also
: a belief in or attitude determined by this doctrine
fatalism that regards social problems as simply inevitable
Examples of fatalism in a Sentence
Many people seem to have developed a sense of fatalism about the war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Filmed in snowy Vancouver and set to some of the most melancholy songs Leonard Cohen ever recorded, the film lets a sense of fatalism hang over even its lightest moments.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025
The film, which premiered at Venice last year and is being released by Factory 25, is composed of vignettes that thematically build upon one another to conjure the distinctive lyricism of coastal ennui and the increasingly familiar dread of climate fatalism.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
There’s a sliver of hope at the end of the series, or at least something that pushes beyond pure fatalism.
—Chris Vognar, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In Washington and Beijing, there is growing fatalism that a crisis is perhaps necessary.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025
The film, which premiered at Venice last year and is being released by Factory 25, is composed of vignettes that thematically build upon one another to conjure the distinctive lyricism of coastal ennui and the increasingly familiar dread of climate fatalism.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
There’s a sliver of hope at the end of the series, or at least something that pushes beyond pure fatalism.
—Chris Vognar, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
In Washington and Beijing, there is growing fatalism that a crisis is perhaps necessary.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fatalism
Cite this Entry
“Fatalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatalism. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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fatalism
noun
fa·tal·ism
ˈfāt-ᵊl-ˌiz-əm
: the belief or attitude that events are decided in advance by powers beyond one's control
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