fatally

adverb

fa·​tal·​ly ˈfā-tᵊl-ē 

1

: in a way determined by fate

2

: in a manner suggesting fate or an act of fate: such as

a

: in a manner resulting in death : mortally

fatally wounded

b

: beyond repair : irrevocably

c

: in a manner resulting in ruin or evil

It is fatally easy to pass off our prejudices as our opinions.

—W. F. Hambly

d

: in a manner that cannot be easily resisted

… thinks she is fatally attractive …

—J. W. Krutch

Examples of fatally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

City Hall said Monday's announcement came in response to the retirement of an officer facing internal disciplinary charges over the death of 19-year-old Win Rozario, who was fatally shot by officers in 2024 during a mental health crisis. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

On July 10, ICE officers fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston as the Mexican national was driving his construction crew to a job site. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

The teen who was fatally shot at a south Fort Worth apartment complex Wednesday evening was planning to graduate from high school in May. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist from Virginia, fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers at Fort Hood in November 2009, injuring another 32. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fatally

• postnatally
• prenatally