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mortal definition

mor·tal (môrt′'l)

adjective

  1. that must eventually die all mortal beings
  2. of a human being considered as a being who must eventually die
  3. of this world
  4. of death
  5. causing death; deadly; fatal
  6. to the death mortal combat
  7. not to be pacified a mortal enemy
  8. very intense; grievous mortal terror
  9. Informal
    1. extreme; very great
    2. very long and tedious
    3. conceivable; possible of no mortal good to anyone
  10. Theol. causing spiritual death: said of a sin serious in itself, adequately recognized as such, and committed with full consent of one's will

Etymology: OFr < L mortalis < mors (gen. mortis), death, akin to mori, to die < IE base *mer-, to die, be worn out > murder, Sans marati, (he) dies

noun

a being who must eventually die; esp., a human being; person

adverb

Dialectal extremely

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical mortal definition - medical

mortal Synonyms

mortal

modif.

  1. Causing death

    malignant, fatal, lethal; see deadly, poisonous.

  2. Subject to death

    human, transient, temporal, passing, frail, impermanent, evanescent, fugacious, perishable, precarious, fading, passing away, ephemeral, momentary; see also temporary.

    Antonyms eternal*, perpetual*, everlasting. *

  3. *Very great

    extreme, deadly, last, ending; see grand 2. See syn. study at fatal.


mortal

n.

creature, being, human; see animal 1, man 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

mortal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • marry: The Lord Chancellor suggests that the law should be changed to " every fairy must die that doesn't marry a mortal " .

Adjective modifier

  • mere: For us mere mortals there is the team relays, these are staged over the sprint distance.

Modifies a noun

  • coil: At least when you shuffle off your mortal coil, the coffin will only have two corners damaged.

Modifying Another Word

  • not: The blow which had struck Michael Strogoff was not mortal.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Once endowed with its less than perfect Body, the Creation, we might say, became mortal.

Preposition: with

  • immortality: For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
mortal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

mortal quotes

   Yes! in the sea of life enisled, With echoing straits between us thrown, Dotting the shoreless watery wild, We mortal millions live alone.

-Arnold, Matthew

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

-Bible (Old Testament)

Let old Timotheus yield the prize, Or both divide the crown: He raised a mortal to the skies; She drewan angel down.

-Dryden,John

mortal quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"mortal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/mortal>

APA Style

mortal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/mortal

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