immortal

[ih-mawr-tl]

adjective

1. not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying.

   our immortal souls.

2. remembered or celebrated through all time.

   the immortal words of Lincoln.

3. not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting.

4. perpetual; lasting; constant.

   an immortal enemy.

5. of or relating to immortal beings or immortality.

6. (of a laboratory-cultured cell line) capable of dividing indefinitely.

noun

1. an immortal being.

2. a person of enduring fame.

   Bach, Milton, El Greco, and other immortals.

   Synonyms: genius, titan, giant

3. the Immortals, the 40 members of the French Academy.

4. (often initial capital letter),  any of the gods of classical mythology.

immortal

/ ɪˈmɔːtəl /

adjective

1. not subject to death or decay; having perpetual life

2. having everlasting fame; remembered throughout time

3. everlasting; perpetual; constant

4. of or relating to immortal beings or concepts

noun

1. an immortal being

2. (often plural) a person who is remembered enduringly, esp an author

   Dante is one of the immortals

Other Word Forms

• immortally adverb
• quasi-immortal adjective
• quasi-immortally adverb
• immortality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of immortal¹

1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Latin immortālis. See im- ², mortal

Example Sentences

"We send our most heartfelt sympathy to his beloved family. Let us all take comfort in his immortal line: 'Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else'."

Read more on BBC

There's a new song doing the rounds, and in the immortal words of Kylie Minogue, you just can't get it out of your head.

Read more on BBC

“And it’s actually bigger than even this lifetime. In order to love something, you have to let go, right? After the unimaginable loss of a child, it’s through his expression that it becomes immortal.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Best known for composing the Brandenburg Concertos, he was described by the 18th-century composer Ludwig Van Beethoven as "the immortal god of harmony".

Read more on Barron's

Food becomes a visual shorthand for connection, a way of grounding an immortal creature to the earth and to the fragile, frightened humans who move through it.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• endless 
• enduring 
• eternal 
• everlasting 
• indestructible 
• never-ending 
• timeless