How Do You Spell LETHAL?

Pronunciation: [lˈiːθə͡l] (IPA)

The word "lethal", meaning deadly or fatal, is spelled with the phonetic transcription /ˈliːθ(ə)l/. The initial sound is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant /l/. The long vowel sound is pronounced as /iː/. The following sound is a voiceless dental fricative /θ/, which is followed by a schwa sound /ə/ and finally, an alveolar lateral approximant /l/. When you hear /l/ at the end of the word, you should not pronounce it. The spelling of the word is derived from its Latin origin, "letalis."

Meaning and Definition
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Etymology
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LETHAL Meaning and Definition

  1. Lethal refers to something that has the potential to cause death or extreme harm. It is an adjective used to describe an object, substance, action, or situation that poses a significant danger to a person's life or well-being. The term lethal is derived from the Latin word "letalis," meaning "deadly" or "fatal."

    In its literal sense, lethal is associated with the capability or tendency to cause death. For instance, a lethal weapon is one that is designed or intended to cause serious injury or death. Similarly, a lethal dose of a drug or poison is the amount that can prove fatal to an organism.

    Lethal can also be used metaphorically to describe situations or actions that have severe consequences or can result in irreversible damage. For example, a lethal blow in a figurative sense is a powerful or devastating action that can completely devastate an individual or organization.

    The term lethal is often used in medical and scientific contexts to describe diseases, viruses, bacteria, or toxins that are capable of causing death. It indicates the potency and seriousness of such harmful substances or pathogens.

    Overall, lethal indicates an extreme level of danger, harm, or mortal risk, emphasizing the potential for death or irreparable damage associated with a particular object, substance, action, or circumstance.

  2. Fatal, mortal, causing death.

    A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

  3. Deadly; mortal; fatal.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for LETHAL *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for LETHAL

Etymology of LETHAL

The word "lethal" has its roots in Latin. It derives from the Latin word "lētālis", which ultimately comes from the noun "lētum", meaning "death" or "ruin". In Latin, "lētālis" was used to describe something that caused death or had the potential to cause death. The word "lethal" was first recorded in English in the late 16th century, where it adopted the same meaning of deadly or fatal.

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