plural fates
1
: a power that is believed to control what happens in the future
They thought they would never see each other again, but fate brought them back together.
a surprising turn/twist/quirk of fate
2
: the things that will happen to a person or thing : the future that someone or something will have
The boy disappeared, and his fate was unknown [=no one knew what happened to him] for many years.
Exile was his fate. = It was his fate to be exiled. [=he was exiled]
The two companies suffered a common fate. [=the same thing happened to both companies]
One company went bankrupt, and a similar fate befell the other.
her sad/unhappy/tragic fate
Congress will decide the bill's fate tomorrow. [=will vote to accept or reject the bill tomorrow]
Her fate was sealed by the marriage arrangement made in her youth.
She regarded poverty as a fate worse than death. [=as worse than dying]
Like his father, he met his fate [=he died] on the battlefield.
Cite this Entry
“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/fate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
