eternal

[ih-tur-nl]

adjective

1. without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (temporal ).

   eternal life.

   Synonyms: permanent
   Antonyms: transitory

2. perpetual; ceaseless; endless.

   eternal quarreling;

   eternal chatter.

3. enduring; immutable.

   eternal principles.

   Synonyms: indestructible, imperishable, undying, deathless, immortal, timeless
   Antonyms: mutable

4. Metaphysics.,  existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.

noun

1. something that is eternal.

2. the Eternal. God.

eternal

/ ɪˈtɜːnəl /

adjective

1. 1. without beginning or end; lasting for ever

      eternal life

   2. ( as noun )

      the eternal

2. (often capital) denoting or relating to that which is without beginning and end, regarded as an attribute of God

3. unchanged by time, esp being true or valid for all time; immutable

   eternal truths

4. seemingly unceasing; occurring again and again

   eternal bickering

Other Word Forms

• eternality noun
• eternalness noun
• eternally adverb
• noneternal adjective
• noneternalness noun
• preeternal adjective
• quasi-eternal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eternal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eternale, eterneel, from Old French eternal, eternel, from Late Latin aeternālis, equivalent to aetern(us) ( eterne ) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eternal¹

C14: from Late Latin aeternālis, from Latin aeternus; related to Latin aevum age

Synonym Study

Eternal, endless, everlasting, perpetual imply lasting or going on without ceasing. That which is eternal is, by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father. That which is endless never stops but goes on continuously as if in a circle: an endless succession of years. That which is everlasting will endure through all future time: a promise of everlasting life. Perpeptual implies continuous renewal as far into the future as one can foresee: perpetual strife between nations.

Example Sentences

I avert my eyes, open my hand, and trace the pattern on the inside of my palm—two stylized hearts, one atop the other, locked in an eternal headbutting competition.

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“Today this wonderful relationship becomes eternal,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Israel, like the U.S., is a beacon for those timeless and, one hopes, eternal values.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Fifty-two submarines had gone on eternal patrol and with them went 3,505 men, a loss six times higher than for surface ships.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Die My Love” seeks the eternal relevance of a film like “A Woman Under the Influence,” which so achingly portrays a mother’s undying love for her children amidst psychological duress.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• abiding 
• boundless 
• constant 
• continual 
• continued 
• enduring 
• everlasting 
• immortal 
• immutable 
• indestructible 
• infinite 
• interminable 
• lasting 
• never-ending 
• perennial 
• permanent 
• perpetual 
• relentless 
• timeless 
• unceasing