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fate Meaning & Definition

/feɪt/

What Does Fate Mean?

As a noun, fate means The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events. It can also mean The effect, consequence, outcome, or inevitable events predetermined by this cause. As a verb, it means To foreordain or predetermine, to make inevitable.

Quick Facts About Fate

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/feɪt/
Synonymsdesignate, portion and lot
Pluralfates
Verb formsfates, fating, fated

Fate Definition (Noun)

  1. The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.
  2. The effect, consequence, outcome, or inevitable events predetermined by this cause.
  3. An event or a situation which is inevitable in the fullness of time.
  4. Destiny; often with a connotation of death, ruin, misfortune, etc.

    Accept your fate.

  5. Alternative letter-case form of Fate (one of the goddesses said to control the destiny of human beings).
  6. The products of a chemical reaction in their final form in the biosphere.
  7. The mature endpoint of a region, group of cells or individual cell in an embryo, including all changes leading to that mature endpoint

Fate as a Verb

  1. To foreordain or predetermine, to make inevitable.

    The oracle's prediction fated Oedipus to kill his father; not all his striving could change what would occur.

Synonyms of Fate

Fate synonyms and antonyms →

Fate in a Sentence

Accept your fate.

The oracle's prediction fated Oedipus to kill his father; not all his striving could change what would occur.

Word Forms & Grammar

fate (countable and uncountable, plural fates)

fate (third-person singular simple present fates, present participle fating, simple past and past participle fated)

Words That Rhyme With Fate

Origin of Fate

From Middle English fate, from Latin fāta (“prediction”), plural of fātum, from fātus (“spoken”), from for (“to speak”). In this sense, displaced native Old English wyrd, whence Modern English weird.

Quick Answers About Fate

Is fate a noun or a verb?

Fate is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for fate?

Words with a similar meaning to fate include designate, portion and lot. See the full list of fate synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of fate?

The plural of fate is fates.

What is the past tense of fate?

The past tense of fate is fated. The present participle is fating.

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