eternal
Americanadjective
-
without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal).
eternal life.
- Synonyms:
- permanent
- Antonyms:
- transitory
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perpetual; ceaseless; endless.
eternal quarreling;
eternal chatter.
-
eternal principles.
- Synonyms:
- indestructible, imperishable, undying, deathless, immortal, timeless
- Antonyms:
- mutable
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Metaphysics. existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.
noun
-
something that is eternal.
-
the Eternal. God.
adjective
-
-
without beginning or end; lasting for ever
eternal life
-
( as noun )
the eternal
-
-
(often capital) denoting or relating to that which is without beginning and end, regarded as an attribute of God
-
unchanged by time, esp being true or valid for all time; immutable
eternal truths
-
seemingly unceasing; occurring again and again
eternal bickering
Synonym Usage
Eternal, endless, everlasting, perpetual imply lasting or going on without ceasing. That which is eternal is, by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father. That which is endless never stops but goes on continuously as if in a circle: an endless succession of years. That which is everlasting will endure through all future time: a promise of everlasting life. Perpeptual implies continuous renewal as far into the future as one can foresee: perpetual strife between nations.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of eternal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eternale, eterneel, from Old French eternal, eternel, from Late Latin aeternālis, equivalent to aetern(us) ( see eterne) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
If something lasts forever or even if it just feels like it’s going to last forever, you could call it eternal, which means that it goes on and on and will never change or end. The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring of water that rewards its bathers with eternal life, free from sickness and death forever. The Latin root of eternal is aeternalis, translating roughly as “of great age,” and eternal things are really, really old. Eternal can describe an abstract idea that never changes, like the eternal truths of war, or it can describe an annoyance that you wish would end, like the eternal boredom you feel watching a really dull movie.
Vocabulary lists containing eternal
Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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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.
Kirby — both prolific and highly regarded — is widely credited with helping create some of Marvel’s most well-known superheroes, such as Captain America, Thor, the Eternals, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2023
Disney has refused requests from some countries to edit movies such as "Eternals" and "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" to remove references to same-sex relationships.
From Reuters • Jan. 17, 2023
Gemma Chan, known for appearing in Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel's Eternals, is set to portray Wong in an upcoming biopic about the star's life.
From BBC • Oct. 19, 2022
Even seemingly standalone Marvel films like "Eternals" clocked in at a whopping 157 minutes, so it's surprising to see the fourth film in a long-running series like Thor get a shorter run time.
From Salon • Jun. 17, 2022
They are the Eternals, and Walhall is their home.
From Operas Every Child Should Know Descriptions of the Text and Music of Some of the Most Famous Masterpieces by Bacon, Mary Schell Hoke
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.
