inevitable
Americanadjective
-
unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; fated.
an inevitable conclusion.
- Synonyms:
- ineluctable, unavoidable
-
sure to occur, happen, or come; unalterable.
The inevitable end of human life is death.
noun
adjective
-
unavoidable
-
sure to happen; certain
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inevitable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word inēvītābilis; see in- 3, evitable
Explanation
If something is inevitable, it will definitely happen, like death or tax season. Inevitable comes from the Latin word inevitabilis, which means unavoidable. If you say something is inevitable, you give the sense that no matter what scheme you come up with to get around it, it's going to happen sooner or later. You can use all the skin products you want, but wrinkles are inevitable.
Vocabulary lists containing inevitable
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List 7
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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.
But he conceded it was "inevitable things go missing" and "thankfully this wasn't that important".
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
On top of that, there are the inevitable disasters, be they earthquake, fire or flood, the latter quite possibly exacerbated this winter by what may be an epic El Niño.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Critics say it’s just postponing coal’s inevitable demise.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Earlier this week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters that the agency was preparing for the inevitable finding of screwworm infections in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Her lips quiver and I wonder if, somehow, she already knows the inevitable truth about her mom.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
