mor·tal·i·ty

[mawr-tal-i-tee]
noun, plural mor·tal·i·ties.
1.
the state or condition of being subject to death; mortal character, nature, or existence.
2.
the relative frequency of deaths in a specific population; death rate.
3.
mortal beings collectively; humanity.
4.
death or destruction on a large scale, as from war, plague, or famine.
5.
Obsolete, death.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English mortalite < Middle French < Latin mortālitās. See mortal, -ity

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Mortality is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
mortality (mɔːˈtælɪtɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ties
1.  the condition of being mortal
2.  great loss of life, as in war or disaster
3.  the number of deaths in a given period
4.  mankind; humanity
5.  an obsolete word for death

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

mortality
mid-14c., "condition of being mortal," from Fr. mortalité (12c.), from L. mortalitem, from mortalis (see mortal). Meaning "widespread death" is from c.1400; meaning "number of deaths from some cause or in a given period" is from 1640s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

mortality mor·tal·i·ty (môr-tāl'ĭ-tē)
n.

  1. The quality or condition of being mortal.

  2. Death rate.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

mortality

in demographic usage, the frequency of death in a population

Learn more about mortality with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Over the last 30 years, infant mortality has fallen sharply, and life
  expectancy has jumped to 58 years.
The crash was a graphic reminder of our mortality-but for once, it was a
  reminder of our mortality that had a happy ending.
But he had no illusions, either, about its ability to cover the failure or wish
  away mortality.
Both chemicals are linked to global climate change, lung disease, and increased
  mortality rates.
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