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fateful

adjective

controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined

Quick reference

Word Facts

Word length
7
Starts with
F
Ends with
L
Contains
AT
Scrabble score
13
Database source
OEWN 2025 Core

How it sounds

Pronunciation

ˈfeɪtfəl

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Audio Pronunciation

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Meaning

Definitions

adjective

  1. controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined

    “a fatal series of events”

adjective

  1. having momentous consequences; of decisive importance

    “{'source': 'Saturday Rev', 'text': 'that fateful meeting of the U.N. when … it declared war on North Korea'}”

adjective

  1. (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin

    “the stock market crashed on Black Friday”

adjective

  1. ominously prophetic

In context

Example Sentences

a fatal series of events
{'source': 'Saturday Rev', 'text': 'that fateful meeting of the U.N. when … it declared war on North Korea'}
the fatal day of the election finally arrived
the stock market crashed on Black Friday
a calamitous defeat
the battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign
{'source': 'Charles Darwin', 'text': 'such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory'}
{'source': 'Douglas MacArthur', 'text': 'it is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it'}

Similar words

Synonyms

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