mortality table: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical / Formal
Quick answer
What does “mortality table” mean?
A statistical chart showing the expected death rate or life expectancy for a defined population at various ages.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A statistical chart showing the expected death rate or life expectancy for a defined population at various ages.
A tool used in actuarial science, insurance, and demographics to predict lifespan and calculate risk for insurance premiums, pension planning, and public health analysis.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The concept and terminology are identical in both actuarial professions.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties. Carries connotations of statistics, insurance, finance, and public policy.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and specialized in both varieties, confined to professional contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “mortality table” in a Sentence
The actuarial team constructed a mortality table for the new pension scheme.Premiums are calculated based on the latest mortality table.The government published a new national mortality table.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mortality table” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The data will be tabled to show mortality projections.
- They are tabulating mortality rates.
American English
- The actuary tabled the mortality assumptions.
- We need to table the latest mortality figures.
adjective
British English
- The mortality-table data is proprietary.
- We reviewed the mortality-table assumptions.
American English
- The mortality-table projections were updated.
- It's a standard mortality-table exercise.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used by insurance companies to price life insurance and annuity products, and by pension funds to assess liabilities.
Academic
Studied in demography, statistics, actuarial science, and public health research for population analysis.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
The primary context. A fundamental tool for actuaries to model and price risk related to human lifespan.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mortality table”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mortality table”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mortality table”
- Using 'mortality table' to refer to a simple graph of historical deaths (it's a predictive/statistical model).
- Confusing 'mortality' with 'morality'.
- Treating it as a common compound noun without the definite article when specific (e.g., 'They used the 2020 mortality table').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in most technical contexts, 'mortality table' and 'life table' are synonyms. 'Actuarial table' is also a closely related term.
Primarily actuaries, insurance companies, pension plan administrators, demographers, and public health officials.
No. It shows statistical probabilities for a large group of people with similar characteristics (like age and gender), not for individuals.
To quantify and financially model the risk of death for a population, which is crucial for pricing insurance products and securing pension funds.
A statistical chart showing the expected death rate or life expectancy for a defined population at various ages.
Mortality table is usually technical / formal in register.
Mortality table: in British English it is pronounced /mɔːˈtæl.ə.ti ˌteɪ.bəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /mɔːrˈtæl.ə.t̬i ˌteɪ.bəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a TABLE at a grim reaper's office, covered in charts predicting when people will die—a MORTALITY TABLE.
Conceptual Metaphor
PREDICTION IS MAPPING (The table maps out the future); LIFE IS A CALCULABLE QUANTITY.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is a 'mortality table' a fundamental tool?