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
That fateful day is, however, just one of many notable dates during its brief run as the solar system’s smallest planet.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In this way, Dieterling becomes a staging-ground for the pivotal (and fateful) choice of the drug war era.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The end of the episode also sees Faith make a fateful decision regarding Malcolm.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
That wave of inner strength crested when Caldwell made the fateful decision to push one of his captors over a cliff, giving his group the opportunity to escape toward a nearby military installation.
—Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In this way, Dieterling becomes a staging-ground for the pivotal (and fateful) choice of the drug war era.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The end of the episode also sees Faith make a fateful decision regarding Malcolm.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
That wave of inner strength crested when Caldwell made the fateful decision to push one of his captors over a cliff, giving his group the opportunity to escape toward a nearby military installation.
—Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fateful. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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