mortality rate
noun
plural mortality rates
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and 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 : death rate
an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people
Note: A crude mortality 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 mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.
an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
mortality rates of lung cancer patients
infectious disease mortality rates
Examples of mortality rate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One to three cups a day was also linked to heart health benefits and lower mortality rates.
—
Renée Onque, CNBC, 26 July 2025
In February 2022, shortly after the release of a state audit that found San Diego County jails had the highest mortality rate in California, a group of civil rights attorneys joined the case and professionalized the allegations.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025
Strengthening the health system has helped reduce Yemen's child mortality rate by 23 percent in the last decade.
—Courtney Busch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
By 2020, the mortality rate among this group was 66 per 100,000 residents.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
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Renée Onque, CNBC, 26 July 2025
In February 2022, shortly after the release of a state audit that found San Diego County jails had the highest mortality rate in California, a group of civil rights attorneys joined the case and professionalized the allegations.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025
Strengthening the health system has helped reduce Yemen's child mortality rate by 23 percent in the last decade.
—Courtney Busch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
By 2020, the mortality rate among this group was 66 per 100,000 residents.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mortality rate
Cite this Entry
“Mortality rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortality%20rate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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