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

Two male occupants were on board and were fatally injured, officials said. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026

Police are seeking the public’s help identifying multiple suspects after a woman was fatally shot Friday afternoon in White Settlement. —Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026

Austin Lynch, 18, of Nesconset, is charged with murder for allegedly fatally shooting Emily Finn, 18, of Sayville. —Katie Houlis, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026

In September, an ICE officer fatally shot a man who DHS said resisted arrest and dragged the officer during a vehicle stop in a Chicago suburb, according to DHS. —Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fatally

• postnatally
• prenatally