LETHALITY Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

lethality

[ lee-thal-i-tee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the capacity to cause great harm, destruction, or death:
Many pathogens are self-limited by their own lethality—the host dies before it has a chance to spread the pathogen.
the likelihood of causing great harm, destruction, or death:
Mutations can increase or decrease lethality, but most viruses mutate to less lethal forms.
death:
Prion diseases, such as so-called “mad cow,” are characterized by neurodegeneration and lethality.

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of lethality¹

lethal ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The company says it uses artificial intelligence and other tech to “significantly increase” the accuracy and lethality of small arms.

From

The goal is to “demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” according to the Air Force Global Strike Command.

From

As the hearing continued, Hegseth was very critical of policies he felt harmed the efficiency and "lethality" of the military, namely efforts aimed at racial and gender diversity.

From

"Basically we accomplished the molecular version of synthetic lethality, a well-known genetics phenomenon, wherein two mutations are only deadly when combined," said Seyedsayamdost.

From

Just as crop-devouring insects evolve to resist pesticides, cancer cells can increase their lethality by developing resistance to treatment.

From

Browse