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

Etymology

Origin of inevitably

inevitab(le) ( def. ) + -ly

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

Inevitably, the soil rained down on the heads of his neighbors below.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Inevitably, some asset classes will lag behind and funds investing in those classes will appear weak.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Inevitably, the question arose: “How can we make an album about death that would leave the listener feeling optimistic?”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

"Inevitably, my teenagers are frying eggs and making food a couple of hours later," says Vicki.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

Inevitably, the hot water ran out if you didn’t take your bath early in the evening.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• necessarily
• surely