Fatal

/ˈfeɪ.təl/ · adjective

Meaning

(rare, archaic) Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny..

Definitions by Sense

1. (rare, archaic) Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
2. (rare, archaic) Foreboding death or great disaster.
3. Causing death or destruction.
4. (computing) Causing a sudden end to the running of a program.
5. A fatality; an event that leads to death.
6. (computing) A fatal error; a failure that causes a program to terminate.

Example Sentences

She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.

Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability: […] it is a black spot which all the soaps ever advertised could never wash off.

a fatal wound; a fatal disease; that fatal day; a fatal mistake

Author Rita Mae Brown consistently strings together short comical movie clips which may be fine for screenplays but fatal in novels. Unfortunately, Toder chooses to imitate this model and her story suffers.

I shoot Mrs. Marlow expertly through the neck. This is not a fatal wound. The bullet misses every artery. She is paralyzed before it leaves her body. Which doesn’t mean she can’t feel pain. It just means she can’t do anything about it. This is my design.

Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

For this reason, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that spinach be cooked at 160º for 15 seconds, which kills potentially fatal bacteria.

a fatal error; a fatal exception

Synonyms for fatal

Antonyms for fatal

Related Words

Word Forms

• more fatal
• most fatal
• fatals

Usage Notes

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