1
a
: causing death
a fatal crash
a fatal disease
a fatal wound
b
: bringing ruin
a fatal attraction to gambling
c
: causing failure
a fatal design flaw
Lack of sufficient support was fatal to his campaign.
2
a
: determining one's fate
… the fatal flaw in this dazzling woman: a total lack of taste.—
Marya Mannes
Marya Mannes
b
: of or relating to fate
… this science sets a fatal necessity on things …—Henry Osborn Taylor
Henry Osborn Taylor
c
: resembling fate in proceeding according to a fixed sequence
3
: fateful
a fatal hour
4
obsolete
: fated
Examples of fatal in a Sentence
a disease that is often fatal
a chemical that can be fatal to birds
She made a fatal mistake.
Recent Examples on the Web
The decision was confirmed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following a fatal shooting at Brown University.
—Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
The 25 corridors are slated for more than 500 potential projects to increase traffic safety as part of the county's Vision Zero plan to reduce reckless driving, traffic violence and fatal and serious injury crashes by 2037.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 27 Dec. 2025
The killing marks Kansas City’s 136th and 137th homicides this year, according to data maintained by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 26 Dec. 2025
Nearly nine years after her now 17-year-old daughter Maddie's near-fatal ATV accident, the actress and mom of two, 34, has gifted her teenage daughter another ATV.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatal
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Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
The 25 corridors are slated for more than 500 potential projects to increase traffic safety as part of the county's Vision Zero plan to reduce reckless driving, traffic violence and fatal and serious injury crashes by 2037.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 27 Dec. 2025
The killing marks Kansas City’s 136th and 137th homicides this year, according to data maintained by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 26 Dec. 2025
Nearly nine years after her now 17-year-old daughter Maddie's near-fatal ATV accident, the actress and mom of two, 34, has gifted her teenage daughter another ATV.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatal
Cite this Entry
“Fatal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatal. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
fatal
adjective
fa·tal
1
: causing failure of a legal claim or cause of action
a fatal defect in the proceedings—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel2
: making something (as a contract) invalid or unenforceable
there is a fatal indefiniteness with the result that the agreement is void—J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo
J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo
fatally
adverb
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