fate

name

1. Any one of the Fates.
2. A personification of fate (the cause that predetermines events).

noun

Etymology: 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.

1. The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.

   “Captain Edward Carlisle[…]felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze,[…]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.”

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.

   “It’s important to research chemical fate because chemical fate is the best tool we have for understanding and managing human health risks or environmental damage caused by chemical release.”

7. The mature endpoint of a region, group of cells or individual cell in an embryo, including all changes leading to that mature endpoint

verb

Etymology: 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.

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.”

   “Before they met, Rebecca Guberman and Jennifer Jako were both certain they were fated to be alone.”