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
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
100 Top "SAT" Words
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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.
Our joints are subject to the inevitable wear-and-tear of age, but low-impact exercise can help.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
“The inevitable correction to this is that buyers will find a cheaper way and companies that put on too much capacity end up with a boom-and-bust cycle,” Shih said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The Flock uprising, though, is the stirrings of public understanding that none of this inevitable — and we have the right to fight back.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Ambareesh Baliga, an independent market analyst, said that when a person with Chandrasekaran's stature stepped down like this, it was inevitable that the markets would react negatively.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I know you can hear me, and I understand if you don’t want to respond, though I am curious. What did you really hope to accomplish here? All you did was prolong my inevitable victory.”
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
