fatally
Americanadverb
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in a manner leading to death or disaster.
He was injured fatally in the accident.
-
by a decree of fate or destiny; by inevitable predetermination.
adverb
-
resulting in death or disaster
fatally wounded in battle
-
as decreed by fate; inevitably
Etymology
Origin of fatally
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at fatal, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In throwing out the guilty verdict, the state supreme court found that jury deliberations were fatally flawed by improper remarks by Becky Hill, then the Colleton County clerk of court.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Ian McCollum was 52 years old when he was fatally injured at McKinstry Biomass Ltd in the Carnbane Industrial Estate on 24 January, 2022.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Henry later rolls triple ones, triggering the “extraordinary occurrences chart,” and is forced to watch as Damon is fatally struck by a pitch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Whittaker organized Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign efforts in the Pacific Northwest and spoke to him by phone only minutes before the candidate was fatally shot in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
After the German surrender, he brought one more argument to the table: using the bomb on Japan would fatally compromise America’s moral and humanitarian standing, undermining any efforts to create a workable international control regime.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
