inevitably

American  

[in-ev-i-tuh-blee] / ɪnˈɛv ɪ tə bli /

adverb

1. in a way that cannot be avoided or escaped; as will certainly or necessarily happen.

   All we parents can do is our best, and when we inevitably screw up, we know that tomorrow's another day.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-inevitably
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of inevitably

inevitab(le) ( def. ) + -ly

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Explanation

If something is totally unavoidable, it is inevitably going to happen. Inevitably, the sun will come up tomorrow. The adverb inevitably comes from the negative of the French word for "avoid" or "shun." There are things you can put off for a while, but inevitably you're going to have to deal with them at some point, like telling your family that you crashed the car. No matter how free-spirited you imagine yourself, unless you are independently wealthy, you will inevitably have to settle down and get some sort of job, like writing and editing word definitions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inevitably

If Carrick does depart, finances will inevitably be a factor.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

But our relationship — never a personal one, but close enough that we greeted each other whenever we inevitably ran into each other — soured in later years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The band’s trademark sound is dense, layered and lo-fi—sophisticated in terms of arrangement, but inevitably fuzzy and distorted around the edges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Needless to say, the stock market will inevitably rally at some point between now and the end of the year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

The name of Theodora shone in the records of the laboratory and so came inevitably to Dr. Montague’s attention.

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

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Related Words

• necessarily
• surely

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