fatalism

IPA/ˈfeɪtəlɪzəm/
KK[fˈetəlˌɪzəm]IPA/ˈfeɪtəlɪzəm/

fatalism — noun

1. the belief that everything in life is already decided and that people cannot cha

1.nounC2
Definition

the belief that everything in life is already decided and that people cannot change what happens through their own choices or efforts

Example

Ingrid's job search has gone badly for months, and she has begun to feel a quiet fatalism about the future.

fatalism + about + [noun phrase]

Critics argue that fatalism stops people from taking action to improve their own lives.

Common collocations
  • fatalism about
  • sense of fatalism
  • air of fatalism
  • blind fatalism
  • reject fatalism
Synonyms
  • determinism

    a more scientific or philosophical term; determinism says causes make things happen, not fate

  • resignation

    an emotional acceptance rather than a belief system; you can feel resignation without believing in fate

  • predestinarianism

    a religious version of fatalism tied to God's plan; much less common in daily use

Antonyms
  • free will

    the idea that people can choose what they do

  • agency

    the ability to act independently and make your own decisions

Usage Note

Often used with a negative tone, suggesting that the person has given up trying to change things. Can be modified by adjectives like 'blind', 'quiet', 'resigned', or 'passive'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe situations where people feel they lack control, but they differ in scope and register. Fatalism is the broadest everyday term — it is the belief that fate or destiny has already written the script of life, so trying to change it is pointless. Determinism is a more technical, philosophical concept: it says every event is caused by prior events (genes, environment, physics), not by a mysterious fate. Resignation is not a belief at all — it is an emotional state of accepting something unpleasant without protest. You can feel resignation about a single bad event (a job loss) while still believing in free will overall. Example: 'Her fatalism meant she never voted — she believed the outcome was already decided.' 'His resignation after the defeat did not mean he thought it was fated; he was simply too tired to fight.

determinism ↗resignation ↗fatalism ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • sense of fatalism
  • air of fatalism
  • vein of fatalism

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Fatalism comes from the Latin word 'fatum,' meaning 'that which has been spoken (by the gods)' — in other words, destiny or fate. The suffix '-ism' turns it into a named belief system. English borrowed 'fatalism' from French in the mid-1700s, first used in theological debates about whether God's plan leaves room for human choice.