lethal
[ lee-thuh l ]
/ ˈli θəl /
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.
Words nearby lethal
leta, letch, letchworth, letdown, letha, lethal, lethal chamber, lethal dose, lethal factor, lethal gene, lethal midline granuloma
Origin of lethal
1575–85; < Latin lētālis, equivalent to lēt(um) death + -ālis -al1; spelling (hence pronunciation) with -h- by association with Greek lḗthē oblivion
SYNONYMS FOR lethal
1 See fatal.
OTHER WORDS FROM lethal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nonlethal
But drones can be used for nonlethal means as well, such as this project to protect rhinos from poachers in India.
About half of $1.4 billion in promised U.S. nonlethal aid, like helicopters, has been delivered.
British Dictionary definitions for nonlethal (1 of 2)
nonlethal
/ (nɒnˈliːθəl) /
adjective
not resulting in or capable of causing death
British Dictionary definitions for nonlethal (2 of 2)
lethal
/ (ˈliːθəl) /
adjective
able to cause or causing death
of or suggestive of death
Derived forms of lethal
lethality (liːˈθælɪtɪ), nounlethally, adverbWord Origin for lethal
C16: from Latin lēthālis, from lētum death
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medicine definitions for nonlethal
lethal
[ lē′thəl ]
adj.
Capable of causing death.
Of, relating to, or causing death.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.