fatally

adverb

fa·​tal·​ly ˈfā-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce fatally (audio)
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 opinionsW. F. Hambly
d
: in a manner that cannot be easily resisted
thinks she is fatally attractiveJ. W. Krutch

Examples of fatally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Chicago-area family of four fatally shot along with their three dogs was not killed in a random attack, police said Tuesday. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023 India-Canada tensions explained What happened: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive speech Monday, alleging the Indian government was involved in the assassination of a prominent Sikh leader who was fatally shot in June outside Vancouver. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023 Two adults and two children, along with their three dogs, were fatally shot in their home in Romeoville, Illinois. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2023 During Davis’ funeral, which took place several weeks after her death, a man was fatally shot, PEOPLE previously reported, citing police in Prince George’s County, Md. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023 An investigation is underway after a man was found fatally shot inside his wrecked vehicle in Forestdale. Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies responded at 5:40 p.m. Tuesday to the 1700 block of Huitt Street. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023 Anthony Jermaine Lewis, now 20, is accused of fatally shooting 59-year-old Leslie Squair Baker during a robbery. Aria Jones, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023 Mitchell, a freshman at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, was fatally shot Friday near the school after Hillcrest’s Homecoming game against Oak Forest High School. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 Delvonta Green, 27, of Fairborn is charged with fatally shooting Brandon Morris, 42, of Cleveland, according to court records and the office of the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office. Olivia Mitchell, cleveland, 18 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fatally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatally was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fatally

Cite this Entry

“Fatally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatally. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

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