mortality rate

noun

plural mortality rates
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate
an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
mortality rates of lung cancer patients
infectious disease mortality rates

Examples of mortality rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One 2023 study found that their maternal mortality rate was 10 times higher than for Black people without the illness, and 26 times higher than for those of other races. —Eric Boodman, STAT, 21 May 2024 African swine fever has a 100% mortality rate among pigs, causing concern among local authorities that work closely with the ham and pork industries. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for mortality rate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mortality rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mortality rate was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near mortality rate

mortality

mortality rate

mortality table

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Mortality rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortality%20rate. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Medical Definition

mortality rate

noun
: the ratio between deaths and individuals in a specified population and during a particular time period : the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time period (such as one year) that is typically expressed per 1000 or 100,000 individuals : death rate
an annual mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people

Note: A crude mortality rate does not distinguish between specific causes of death or groups of individuals and measures the incidence of all deaths in a population during a given time period. More specific mortality rates are based on narrower categories of individuals or causes of death.

mortality rates of liver cancer patients
an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1000 live births
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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