fatal
adjective
\
Definition of fatal
1 obsolete : fated
2 : fateful a fatal hour
3a : of or relating to fate … this science sets a fatal necessity on things …— H. O. Taylor
b : resembling fate in proceeding according to a fixed sequence
c : determining one's fate the fatal flaw in this dazzling woman: a total lack of taste— Marya Mannes
4a : causing death a fatal crash a fatal disease a fatal wound
b : bringing ruin a fatal attraction to gambling
c : causing failure a fatal design flaw Lack of sufficient support was fatal to his campaign.
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for fatal
Synonyms
baleful, deadly, deathly, fell, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital
Antonyms
healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of fatal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomason faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. — PEOPLE.com, "Dental Hygienist Allegedly Fatally Rammed Woman with Her Mercedes — and Said God Made Her Do It," 12 July 2018 Amtrak officials told federal investigators Wednesday that two recent fatal crashes had prompted an unprecedented focus on safety for the railroad. — Lori Aratani, Washington Post, "Amtrak says new focus on safety will make rail travel safer for all," 11 July 2018 The comments came at a two-day hearing of the National Transportation Safety Board about fatal Amtrak crashes. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "Railroads have improved safety since fatal S.C. collision, Amtrak and CSX officials say," 10 July 2018 Tap or click here for my take on Arizona’s fatal Uber crash. — Kim Komando, Fox News, "Stop robocalls, free TV, anonymous browsing and more: Tech Q&A," 7 July 2018 In Georgia, where insurance premiums are high and the number of fatal crashes has been increasing, the new law gets specific. — Justine Mcdaniel, Philly.com, "One hand on the wheel, one on the phone: Still legal while driving in Pa.," 6 July 2018 Uber has laid off its self-driving car safety operators in Pittsburgh as the company reevaluates its autonomous vehicle strategy following a fatal crash in Tempe, Arizona, in March, Quartz reports and the company confirms. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Uber laid off its self-driving car safety drivers in Pittsburgh," 11 July 2018 The stretches, totaling nearly 40 miles, accounted for 97 fatal crashes and 101 fatalities, the AJC previously reported. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "Driving in Atlanta is painful — but it’s far from the worst," 11 July 2018 Blue and red tarps covering a white passenger vehicle with its front-end smashed were seen in photos taken from the scene of the fatal collision. — Amy Lieu, Fox News, "Adult, 4 children from NJ killed in Delaware crash of minivan, pickup truck," 7 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about fatal
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
‘Fatal’ vs. ‘Fateful’
‘Fatal’ vs. ‘Fateful’
Warning: murkiness ahead
Statistics for fatal
Last Updated
17 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for fatal
The first known use of fatal was in the 14th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for fatal
fatal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of fatal
: causing death
: causing ruin or failure
See the full definition for fatal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fatal
adjective
\
Kids Definition of fatal
1 : causing death : mortal fatal injuries
2 : causing ruin or failure a fatal mistake
fatal
adjective
\
Medical Definition of fatal
: causing death a fatal diabetic coma— Havelock Ellis
Other Words from fatal
\
adverb
Keep scrolling for more
fatal
adjectiveLegal Definition of fatal
1 : causing failure of a legal claim or cause of action a fatal defect in the proceedings— W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
2 : making something (as a contract) invalid or unenforceable there is a fatal indefiniteness with the result that the agreement is void— J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on fatal
What made you want to look up fatal? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
Which Came First? Quiz
Do you know which word is older?
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Citation
Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?
Play the game
Share fatal
Resources for fatal