lethal
Americanadjective
-
able to cause or causing death
-
of or suggestive of death
Related Words
See fatal.
Other Word Forms
- hyperlethal adjective
- lethality noun
- lethally adverb
- lethalness noun
- nonlethal adjective
- nonlethally adverb
- semilethal adjective
Etymology
Origin of lethal
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin lētālis, equivalent to lēt(um) “death” + -ālis -al 1; spelling (hence pronunciation) with -h- by association with Greek lḗthē “oblivion”; Lethe ( def. )
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.
Another problem, he adds, is that many people in rural India still rely on faith healers or local medicinal practices and go to hospitals only when their symptoms worsen, which can be lethal.
From BBC
He is a ruthless, complete player, lethal from both sides of the baseline, able to scramble, extend points and hit drop shots when he needs to.
Anthropic’s focus on safe applications of AI—and its objection to having its technology used in autonomous lethal operations—have continued to cause problems, they said.
In McDonnell’s report, he found that his officers followed police policy in the use of lethal force and the drawing and exhibiting of a weapon.
From Los Angeles Times
There are just a few examples of when the damage caused by less lethal munitions, wielded by law enforcement around the country, was caught on camera.
From Salon
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.
