Added 9 October 2026
lethal
/ˈliː.θəl/ adjective
In Latin: mortifer, mortiferus, lētālis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lethal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Of an instrument of certain death.
deadly poisons
Origin
Learned borrowing from Latin lētālis (“deadly, mortal, fatal”), improperly written lēthālis, from lētum (“death”), improperly written as lēthum, from a supposed connection with Ancient Greek λήθη (lḗthē, “oblivion, forgetfulness”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)