deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.
a deadly disease
mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.
a mortal wound
fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.
fatal consequences
lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.
lethal gas
Example Sentences
a disease that is often fatal
a chemical that can be fatal to birds
She made a fatal mistake.
Recent Examples on the WebOne of seven people charged in connection with the August fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jordan Wiggins in Quincy is slated for arraignment on murder and other counts in connection with the case, prosecutors said.—Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Jan. 2023 Then, in October 2021, Alec was involved in an accidental fatal shooting while filming Rust.—Meg Walters, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2023 That teen was not connected to Andre’s fatal shooting.—Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2023 Seven people were also arrested and charged with domestic terrorism following the fatal shooting.—Will Mcduffie, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2023 Another man, Ryan Vest, has already been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting.—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 21 Jan. 2023 Baldwin — who authorities said discharged the prop gun that led to the fatal shooting — could face a five-year prison sentence if a jury convicted him on one of the charges.—Anousha Sakouistaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2023 Oklahoma state police are investigating the fatal shooting of a Sudanese worker by local police officers at a pork processing plant earlier this month.—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2023 The Coosa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in investigating a fatal shooting.—Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 21 Jan. 2023 See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin fatalis, from fatum fate
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