fate

FAYT/feɪt/

Pluralfates

Verbfates, fating, fated

5 meanings of fate

1
nouncountable
What finally happens to someone or something, often something bad, as if it was decided beforehand.
Like a dark cloud that you know will reach you no matter where you go.
He feared the terrible fate that waited for him beyond the walls.
The soldiers met a grim fate on the open battlefield.
UsageSay someone met a sad fate.
Similardestiny, doom, lot, fortune
Note
2
force behind eventsnoununcountable
A power that some people believe controls everything that happens, before it happens.
Like an invisible hand that quietly pushes events along a set path.
She believed that fate had brought the two of them together.
Some people think fate decides everything in their lives.
UsageSay fate with no a: fate brought them together.
Similardestiny
Note
3
destined toverbtransitive
To decide something ahead of time so that it has to happen.
Like setting up dominoes so that they all must fall.
Some people believe they were fated to meet.
In the story, the brave king is fated to die young.
UsageUsually said be fated to do something.
Similardoom, condemn, destine, predestine, sentence
Note
4
embryo cellsnouncountable or uncountable
What a cell in a growing embryo finally turns into, plus all the changes along the way.
Like knowing a seed will grow into one certain kind of plant.
Scientists studied the fate of each cell in the tiny embryo.
The fate of these early cells is to become muscle.
Note

Less common meaning

5
chemicals in naturenouncountable or uncountable
What happens to a chemical after it gets into nature, such as where it goes and how it changes.
Like following litter to see where it finally ends up.
Scientists studied the fate of the chemicals in the river.
They tracked the fate of the spilled oil in the bay.
UsageSay the fate of a chemical in a river.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin "fatum," meaning something spoken, which grew to mean a prediction. It replaced the older English word "wyrd."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

English fate comes from Latin fatum. en.wiktionary.org
Latin fatum derives from the meaning something spoken and developed the meaning prediction. en.wiktionary.org
Fate displaced the older English word wyrd. en.wiktionary.org