Obs. [a. F. casualité:—med.L. cāsuālitas, f. cāsuālis; see CASUAL. The form now used is CASUALTY.]
1. Chance; the state of being ‘casual’; a chance or casual occurrence, contingency; esp. an unfortunate occurrence, accident, casualty.
1540. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, I. ii. (1634), 19. By cutting or apostumation, or by other casuality.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apocalips, 16. Nothing happeneth by casualitie.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Royal Navy, 19. More subject to casualitie and danger.
1679. Hobbes, Behemoth, Wks. (1840), VI. 246. Mere contingency, casuality, and fortune.
1792. W. Roberts, Looker-on, No. 7 (1794), I. 86. Superior to common casualities.
2. A casual or incidental charge or source of income; = CASUALTY 4.
c. 1568. Murray, in Love-lett. Mary Q. Scots, App. (1824), 211. The intromissioun or disponyng upoun hir propertie, casualities, or quhatsumever thing pertening, or that ony wayis might pertene, to hir.
1607. Davies, 1st Let. Earl Salisbury (1787), 242. An allowance out of the fines and casualities of that county.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Jas. V., Wks. (1711), 96. His partner and fellow-governour in distribution of casualities and ruling the country.
