1
: having a quality of ominous prophecy
a fateful remark
2
a
: involving momentous consequences : decisive
made his fateful decision to declare war—
W. L. Shirer
W. L. Shirer
b
3
: controlled by fate : foreordained
fatefulness
noun
Examples of fateful in a Sentence
His life changed on that fateful November evening.
Hundreds perished on that fateful day.
Her campaign took a fateful turn.
Recent Examples on the Web
The conference will take place near the campus location where Fermi oversaw the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in the run-up to that fateful July 16 bomb test.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Digital clues and behavioral red flags Following the fateful July 13, 2024, attack – which claimed the life of 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore and injured Trump and rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver – Crooks’ past was thoroughly vetted by federal investigators.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Then the feet stopped dancing, the fateful slip two points from the end of his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli proving one physical blow too many.
—The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The Royals’ fireman reliever showed developmental traits as a hitter, but his career took a fateful detour in 2021.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fateful
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Digital clues and behavioral red flags Following the fateful July 13, 2024, attack – which claimed the life of 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore and injured Trump and rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver – Crooks’ past was thoroughly vetted by federal investigators.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Then the feet stopped dancing, the fateful slip two points from the end of his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli proving one physical blow too many.
—The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The Royals’ fireman reliever showed developmental traits as a hitter, but his career took a fateful detour in 2021.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fateful. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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