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.
Bringing the Geneva Conventions and their prohibition of war crimes into the fight against lethal economic sanctions can raise the legal and political cost of enforcing them.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Just as importantly, the Volunteers often turn over the ball and struggle to generate turnovers—a potentially lethal combination.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
The UK government must also sign off on the use of lethal drugs for assisted dying in Scotland.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
"A potential spill could cause fires, cryogenic clouds lethal to marine life, and widespread and long-lasting pollution of water and the atmosphere," WWF Italy warned in a statement.
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
By chance, he was having one of his coughing spells at the moment and thereby missed the lethal unveiling.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
