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 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
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Ka'mardre Coleman Photo provided Suspect charged as adult Coleman was fatally shot on Monday. Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026 Norlan Guzmán Fuentes, a landscaper from El Salvador, was fatally wounded. Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026 Falcone was fatally shot during the confrontation. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026 An off-duty police officer is accused of fatally shooting another off-duty officer during a domestic disturbance late Friday, a North Carolina sheriff said Saturday. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fatally

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

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Cite this Entry

“Fatally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatally. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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