English · Word Candidate

mortality

/mɔɹˈtælɪti/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: mortalities

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The state or quality of being mortal. — The state of being susceptible to death.

Noun

Examples

[H]er minde remembreth her mortalitie, / vvhat ſo is fayreſt ſhall to earth returne.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The number of deaths; and, usually and especially, the number of deaths per time unit (usually per year), expressed as a rate. — Deaths resulting from an event (such as a war, epidemic or disaster).

Noun

Examples

[…] the Mortality was so great in the Yard or Alley, that there was no Body left to give Notice to the Buriers or Sextons, that there were any dead Bodies there to be bury’d.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “mortality” mean?

The state or quality of being mortal. — The state of being susceptible to death.

Is “mortality” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.