nonfatal

adjective

non·​fa·​tal ˌnän-ˈfā-tᵊl 

: not causing death : not fatal

nonfatal infections

a nonfatal wound

Examples of nonfatal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Keeping guns away For Dunne, who spearheaded the July report on violence against women for the city and county task force, there was one clear factor behind the rise in nonfatal shootings. — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

The nonfatal events in the OPTIMAL-STROKE study included heart attack, stroke, and hospitalization for chest pain or heart failure. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 7 Nov. 2026

Following Baltimore’s historic decline in homicides that began in 2023, killings this year are slightly below last year’s pace — nonfatal shootings, meanwhile, are slightly ahead of 2025. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 29 Oct. 2026

There have also been 213 nonfatal shootings, compared with 226 at this point in 2025. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonfatal

• postnatal
• prenatal
• antenatal
• hiatal
• neonatal
• perinatal
• datal
• fatal

Medical Definition

nonfatal

adjective

non·​fa·​tal -ˈfāt-ᵊl 

: not fatal

nonfatal infections