eventually
Americanadverb
adverb
-
at the very end; finally
-
(as sentence modifier) after a long time or long delay
eventually, he arrived
Etymology
Origin of eventually
Explanation
Eventually refers to an unspecific time when something will be completed, and it usually suggests it won't be done soon. Think of eventually being said with a big sigh, as though the speaker knows that it will take a long time before something will be finished. Still, it does allow for the hope that, although it might not be anytime soon, it will be done at last — a promise fulfilled. Not now, maybe, but eventually.
Vocabulary lists containing eventually
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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 the Cyclops is one-eyed, slow-moving and tactically naive, like the English national team, and is eventually defeated by firm managerial leadership and guile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The big question is whether soaring AI investment will eventually meet the same fate as the dot-com era, when the bubble burst and many companies failed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Civil War tore the country apart but eventually led to the abolishment of slavery.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Goodies ran on BBC Television for most of the 1970s, eventually transferring to ITV for a short - and less than successful - period.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
If it was now flowing into Magpie Lake, the lake might get big enough, deep enough, that the whole island would eventually be underwater.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
