fatally
Americanadverb
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in a manner leading to death or disaster.
He was injured fatally in the accident.
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by a decree of fate or destiny; by inevitable predetermination.
adverb
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resulting in death or disaster
fatally wounded in battle
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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.
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
The justice department under her tenure faced questions over its handling of the investigation into federal immigration agents fatally shooting two people during confrontations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which sparked nationwide demonstrations in January.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
He was wrong, fatally so for himself and maybe yet for the regime.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2013, bought the guns legally in 2017 and was fatally shot by police.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
We shall never know for certain because in 1906 he was fatally run over by a carriage while crossing a Paris street.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
