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fatalist

fatalist

3 7.9
A person who believes events are already decided and cannot be changed
  • noun
  • /ˈfeɪtəlɪst/
: fatalista
  • I'm a fatalist.

Examples

  • Many people consider themselves fatalists, feeling that they cannot change the course of their lives.

  • He's kind of a fatalist at times anyway, and that can bring down overall group morale.

    Blog text (27)
  • Are you a fatalist, Jerry?

  • For Riley, Thomas is a fatalist.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Often he wondered if he was a fatalist.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • We are learning to be good fatalists in this household.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In modern societies, however, the number of fatalists as a cultural type is relatively small.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Mariel hated to think of Finny as a junior fatalist.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • As a fatalist, she believed that everything in her life was meant to happen for a reason.

  • The philosopher was known as a fatalist, arguing that our fate is predetermined and unavoidable.

Synonyms

determinist
vsfatalist
  • Specialized
2 8.8

A person who believes everything, even our choices, is caused by earlier events

accepts that destiny cannot be changed rather than studying causes
predestinarian
vsfatalist
  • Formal
1 9.9

A person who believes God decides who will be saved and people cannot change it

accepts inevitability for all events rather than only for salvation
necessitarian
vsfatalist
  • Formal
9.9

A person who believes all actions are fixed by earlier events, not by free choice

accepts inevitability of destiny instead of arguing necessity
predestinationist
vsfatalist
9.9

A person who believes God already decided their future

accepts inevitability without insisting on divine authorship

Surface Forms

fatalist singular
fatalists plural

Morphology

fatalist = fatal (semi-transparent) = fatal + ist

The suffix '-ist' indicates a person who practices or is concerned with something, but the shift from 'fatal' to a belief system is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Fatalist comes from the word fate, which means 'what will happen', and the ending -ist that means 'a person who believes'. So a fatalist is someone who thinks events are already decided and accepts them as unchangeable.