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lethal

[ lee-thuhl ]
/ ˈli ĪøÉ™l /
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See synonyms for: lethal / lethality / lethalness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
of, relating to, or causing death; deadly; fatal: a lethal weapon;a lethal dose.
made or carried out to cause death: a lethal chamber;a lethal attack.
causing great harm or destruction: The disclosures were lethal to his candidacy.
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Origin of lethal

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin lētālis, equivalent to lēt(um) ā€œdeathā€ + -ālis -al1; spelling (hence pronunciation) with -h- by association with Greek lįø—thē ā€œoblivionā€; see Lethe

synonym study for lethal

1. See fatal.

OTHER WORDS FROM lethal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lethal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lethal

lethal
/ (ˈliːθəl) /

adjective
able to cause or causing death
of or suggestive of death

Derived forms of lethal

lethality (liːˈθælɪtɪ), nounlethally, adverb

Word Origin for lethal

C16: from Latin lēthālis, from lētum death
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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