adj
fatal
FAY-tuhl
adj
1
Causing death.
"The crash resulted in a fatal injury to the driver."
"A fatal dose of the poison had been mixed into his drink."
2
Causing serious harm, ruin, or failure, especially to a plan or process.
"The bug turned out to be a fatal flaw in the whole system design."
How to Use Fatal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDeadly, or so damaging that it destroys something completely.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "fateful", which means significant or decisive, not necessarily deadly.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
fatal accident
fatal error
fatal flaw
Word Forms
more fatal comparative, fatals plural, most fatal superlative
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The crash resulted in a _____ injury to the driver.
Etymology
From Latin fatalis, "decreed by fate", from fatum ("fate").