eternal
Americanadjective
-
without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal).
eternal life.
- Synonyms:
- permanent
- Antonyms:
- transitory
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perpetual; ceaseless; endless.
eternal quarreling;
eternal chatter.
-
eternal principles.
- Synonyms:
- indestructible, imperishable, undying, deathless, immortal, timeless
- Antonyms:
- mutable
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Metaphysics. existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.
noun
-
something that is eternal.
-
the Eternal. God.
adjective
-
-
without beginning or end; lasting for ever
eternal life
-
( as noun )
the eternal
-
-
(often capital) denoting or relating to that which is without beginning and end, regarded as an attribute of God
-
unchanged by time, esp being true or valid for all time; immutable
eternal truths
-
seemingly unceasing; occurring again and again
eternal bickering
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of eternal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eternale, eterneel, from Old French eternal, eternel, from Late Latin aeternālis, equivalent to aetern(us) ( see eterne) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
If something lasts forever or even if it just feels like it’s going to last forever, you could call it eternal, which means that it goes on and on and will never change or end. The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring of water that rewards its bathers with eternal life, free from sickness and death forever. The Latin root of eternal is aeternalis, translating roughly as “of great age,” and eternal things are really, really old. Eternal can describe an abstract idea that never changes, like the eternal truths of war, or it can describe an annoyance that you wish would end, like the eternal boredom you feel watching a really dull movie.
Vocabulary lists containing eternal
Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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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.
In a statement, the family recalled Shaw's "infectious laugh" which they said could light up a room, adding she loved meeting new people, sharing advice, and forming "eternal friendships".
From BBC • May 7, 2026
When women see that in action, it re-establishes the eternal truth that regardless of what they do, they cannot ever feel entirely safe — not in public and not in their relationships.
From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026
"I can only pray that God will grant him eternal rest and also grant his loved ones and the Nigeria football family the fortitude to bear the loss," Sanusi added.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
“People associate that sense of permanence with a divine quality and a metaphor for things that are eternal, like love between people, devotion to a deity and political power.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
“She’s got some sort of notion in her head concerning the eternal rights of women; and—you understand—we meet in the morning at the breakfast table.”
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
