fatal

English

Etymology

From Middle French fatal, from Latin fātālis (“fatal”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪtəl/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): [ˈfeɪ.ɾɫ̩]

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtəl

Adjective

fatal (not comparable)

1. Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
   • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:

     She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.

2. Foreboding death or great disaster.
   • 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], OCLC 16832619:

     Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability: […] it is a black spot which all the soaps ever advertised could never wash off.

3. Causing death or destruction.

   a fatal wound; a fatal disease; that fatal day; a fatal mistake

   • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:

     Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

4. (computing) Causing a sudden end to the running of a program.

   a fatal error; a fatal exception

Synonyms

• (proceeding from fate): inevitable, necessary
• (foreboding death): terminal
• (causing death): calamitous, deadly, destructive, mortal

Derived terms

• fatalism
• fatalistic
• fatality

• fatally
• nonfatal, non-fatal
• nonfatally

Translations

proceeding from fate

• Albanian: fatal (sq)
• Bulgarian: съдбоносен (bg) (sǎdbonosen), фатален (bg) (fatalen)
• Catalan: fatal (ca)
• Czech: osudový (cs) m
• Dutch: fataal (nl), fatale (nl)
• Esperanto: fatala
• Finnish: kohtalokas
• French: fatal (fr)
• German: verhängnisvoll, fatal (de)
• Ido: fatala (io)

• Italian: fatale (it)
• Japanese: 宿命的な (ja) (shukumeiteki na)
• Latin: fatalis
• Mongolian: үйлтэй (üjltej)
• Norwegian: skjebnebestemt
• Portuguese: fatal (pt)
• Russian: роково́й (ru) (rokovój), фата́льный (ru) (fatálʹnyj)
• Slovene: usoden (sl)
• Spanish: fatal (es)
• Swedish: ödesbestämd

foreboding death

• Catalan: fatal (ca)
• Czech: osudný m
• Dutch: fataal (nl), fatale (nl)
• Finnish: kohtalokas
• French: fatal (fr)
• Italian: fatale (it)
• Latin: mortifer

• Norwegian: skjebnesvanger, fatal
• Portuguese: fatal (pt)
• Russian: роково́й (ru) (rokovój)
• Slovene: usoden (sl)
• Spanish: fatal (es)
• Swedish: dödsbringande

causing death

• Albanian: fatal (sq)
• Bulgarian: смъртоносен (bg) (smǎrtonosen)
• Catalan: fatal (ca)
• Czech: osudný m
• Dutch: fataal (nl), fatale (nl)
• Finnish: tappava (fi), tuhoisa (fi), fataali
• French: fatal (fr)
• German: tödlich (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: θανάσιμος (thanásimos)

• Hebrew: קטלני‎ (katlaní)

• Italian: fatale (it)
• Japanese: 致死の (ja) (chishi no), 命取りの (inochitori no)
• Latin: mortifer, lētālis
• Latvian: nāvīgs, nāvējošs
• Maori: whakamate
• Norwegian: fatal
• Portuguese: fatal (pt)
• Russian: роково́й (ru) (rokovój), смерте́льный (ru) (smertélʹnyj)
• Slovene: usoden (sl), smrtonosen (sl)
• Spanish: fatal (es)
• Swedish: dödlig (sv), fatal (sv)

Noun

fatal (plural fatals)

1. A fatality; an event that leads to death.
   • 1969, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education, Hearings (page 90)

     For this same period there have been four fatals and 44 nonfatals in gassy mines.

   • 1999, Flying Magazine (volume 126, number 4, April 1999, page 15)

     The best accident rate in general aviation is in corporate/executive flying at 0.17 per 100000 hours for fatals and .50 for total accidents.

2. (computing) A fatal error; a failure that causes a program to terminate.

Anagrams

• A flat, A-flat, a flat, a-flat, aflat

---

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin fātālis (“fatal”).

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /fəˈtal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /faˈtal/
• Homophone: fetal (Balearic, Central)

Adjective

fatal (masculine and feminine plural fatals)

1. fatal

Derived terms

• fatalisme
• fatalista
• fatalment

Related terms

• fatalitat

Further reading

• “fatal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

---

Danish

Etymology

From Latin fātālis (“fatal”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fataːl/, [faˈtˢæːˀl]

Adjective

fatal

1. fatal

Inflection

Inflection of fatal
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	fatal	—	—2
Neuter singular	fatalt	—	—2
Plural	fatale	—	—2
Definite attributive1	fatale	—	—
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Synonyms

• skæbnesvanger

Derived terms

• fatalisme

---

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fātālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa.tal/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

fatal (feminine singular fatale, masculine plural fatals, feminine plural fatales)

1. fatal (due to fate)
2. fatal (causing death)

Derived terms

• fatalement
• fatalisme
• fataliste

Related terms

• fatalité

Further reading

• “fatal” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

---

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fātālis.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

fatal (comparative fataler, superlative am fatalsten)

1. fatal

Declension

Positive forms of fatal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist fatal	sie ist fatal	es ist fatal	sie sind fatal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fataler	fatale	fatales	fatale
	genitive	fatalen	fataler	fatalen	fataler
	dative	fatalem	fataler	fatalem	fatalen
	accusative	fatalen	fatale	fatales	fatale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fatale	die fatale	das fatale	die fatalen
	genitive	des fatalen	der fatalen	des fatalen	der fatalen
	dative	dem fatalen	der fatalen	dem fatalen	den fatalen
	accusative	den fatalen	die fatale	das fatale	die fatalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fataler	eine fatale	ein fatales	(keine) fatalen
	genitive	eines fatalen	einer fatalen	eines fatalen	(keiner) fatalen
	dative	einem fatalen	einer fatalen	einem fatalen	(keinen) fatalen
	accusative	einen fatalen	eine fatale	ein fatales	(keine) fatalen

Comparative forms of fatal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist fataler	sie ist fataler	es ist fataler	sie sind fataler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fatalerer	fatalere	fataleres	fatalere
	genitive	fataleren	fatalerer	fataleren	fatalerer
	dative	fatalerem	fatalerer	fatalerem	fataleren
	accusative	fataleren	fatalere	fataleres	fatalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fatalere	die fatalere	das fatalere	die fataleren
	genitive	des fataleren	der fataleren	des fataleren	der fataleren
	dative	dem fataleren	der fataleren	dem fataleren	den fataleren
	accusative	den fataleren	die fatalere	das fatalere	die fataleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fatalerer	eine fatalere	ein fataleres	(keine) fataleren
	genitive	eines fataleren	einer fataleren	eines fataleren	(keiner) fataleren
	dative	einem fataleren	einer fataleren	einem fataleren	(keinen) fataleren
	accusative	einen fataleren	eine fatalere	ein fataleres	(keine) fataleren

Superlative forms of fatal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am fatalsten	sie ist am fatalsten	es ist am fatalsten	sie sind am fatalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fatalster	fatalste	fatalstes	fatalste
	genitive	fatalsten	fatalster	fatalsten	fatalster
	dative	fatalstem	fatalster	fatalstem	fatalsten
	accusative	fatalsten	fatalste	fatalstes	fatalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fatalste	die fatalste	das fatalste	die fatalsten
	genitive	des fatalsten	der fatalsten	des fatalsten	der fatalsten
	dative	dem fatalsten	der fatalsten	dem fatalsten	den fatalsten
	accusative	den fatalsten	die fatalste	das fatalste	die fatalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fatalster	eine fatalste	ein fatalstes	(keine) fatalsten
	genitive	eines fatalsten	einer fatalsten	eines fatalsten	(keiner) fatalsten
	dative	einem fatalsten	einer fatalsten	einem fatalsten	(keinen) fatalsten
	accusative	einen fatalsten	eine fatalste	ein fatalstes	(keine) fatalsten

---

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch fataal, from Middle French fatal, from Latin fātālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfatal]
• Hyphenation: fa‧tal

Adjective

fatal

1. fatal,
   1. causing death or destruction.
   2. proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny; inevitable.

Further reading

• “fatal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

---

Middle French

Etymology

First known attestation 1380, borrowed from Latin fātālis

Adjective

fatal m (feminine singular fatale, masculine plural fatals, feminine plural fatales)

1. fatal (due to fate)

---

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin fatalis

Adjective

fatal (neuter singular fatalt, definite singular and plural fatale)

1. fatal

References

• “fatal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin fatalis

Adjective

fatal (neuter singular fatalt, definite singular and plural fatale)

1. fatal

References

• “fatal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

---

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin fātālis (“fatal”).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fɐ.ˈtaɫ/
• Hyphenation: fa‧tal

Adjective

fatal m or f (plural fatais, comparable)

1. fatal
2. terrible, very bad

Derived terms

• fatalismo
• fatalista
• fatalmente

Related terms

• fatalidade

Further reading

• “fatal” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

---

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin fātālis (“fatal”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /faˈtal/, [faˈt̪al]
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

fatal (plural fatales)

1. fatal
2. terrible, very bad

Derived terms

• fatalismo
• fatalista
• fatalmente
• mujer fatal

 

Related terms

• fatalidad

Adverb

fatal

1. very badly, terribly

   Me siento fatal. ― I feel terrible.

   Manejas fatal. ― You drive terribly.

Further reading

• “fatal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.