immortal
Americanadjective
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not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying.
our immortal souls.
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remembered or celebrated through all time.
the immortal words of Lincoln.
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not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting.
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perpetual; lasting; constant.
an immortal enemy.
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of or relating to immortal beings or immortality.
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(of a laboratory-cultured cell line) capable of dividing indefinitely.
adjective
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not subject to death or decay; having perpetual life
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having everlasting fame; remembered throughout time
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everlasting; perpetual; constant
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of or relating to immortal beings or concepts
noun
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an immortal being
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(often plural) a person who is remembered enduringly, esp an author
Dante is one of the immortals
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of immortal
1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Latin immortālis. See im- 2, mortal
Explanation
Immortal describes what will never die. Do you like vampires? Those blood-suckers are immortal, and will live forever — except, of course, if you drive a stake through their heart. The word immortal can refer a supernatural being who is worshipped by others, or is a divinity or God in human form, like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology. Immortal can also mean "a person whose fame lasts for many years." If you're a sports legend or a well-known author, you may be remembered as an immortal in your field. Immortal comes from the Old French word immortalité, meaning "deathlessness."
Vocabulary lists containing immortal
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the Catholic view, humans, uniquely, are creatures made in God’s image and likeness—endowed by him with rational, free, immortal souls and the capacity to love him and each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
It was "another immortal Messi moment" according to BBC commentator Steve Bower.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
The mega-wealthy do not agree; death will not stop them; they want to be immortal.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Sure, he may be an immortal vampire, but he’s navigating the same questions that confront plenty of artists: How much of yourself to reveal?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
With almost a dozen immortal emperors jostling for position, high-level Inka society was characterized by ramose political intrigue of a scale that would have delighted the Medici.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The former Big Red Machine star told Kent to act like he belonged among the rest of baseball’s immortals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Alexander Pope’s early 18th-century translation of the story of Odysseus calls the hero Ulysses and favors Roman names for the immortals of Olympus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The immortals of 1967 and the atmosphere on Champions League nights continue to do some seriously heavy lifting on that front.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025
Recently, however, Dia has been adding to its pantheon of immortals with the aim of increasing the representation of women and artists of color.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
‘What you want,’ Piper continued, ‘more than victory, more than revenge . . . you want rest. You are so weary, so incomprehensibly tired of the ungrateful mortals and immortals.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
