eventual
Americanadjective
-
happening at some indefinite future time or after a series of occurrences; ultimate.
His mistakes led to his eventual dismissal.
- Synonyms:
- later, consequent, subsequent
-
depending upon uncertain events; contingent.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of eventual
1605–15; < Latin ēventu ( s ) event + -al 1, modeled of French éventuel
Explanation
The adjective eventual is used to describe something that is likely to happen in the indefinite future. If you are a teen, you can't wait for your eventual graduation from high school, but later, you'll look back fondly on those same high school days. Eventual implies that the result will occur due to circumstances already set in motion or if a given set of circumstances happens. In other words, eventual is not used to randomly predict the future. You may hope to win the lottery in the future, but you can't talk about your eventual lottery win because you have no way to guarantee your numbers will be chosen — unless you've figured out a way to rig the system. If you have, maybe you should think about your eventual jail time.
Vocabulary lists containing eventual
Ancient Greece, Lessons 1–3
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Ventus and Venire
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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 August 2014, part of the new A11 was closed for five nights so a suite of bat bridges could be installed at an eventual cost of more than half a million dollars.
From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026
But instead of giving Stafford another weapon, they gave him... his eventual replacement.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
The four shortlisted artists are awarded £10,000 each, while the eventual winner will receive £25,000.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
“We expect smaller GPU providers and eventual enterprise customers to leverage Dell’s broader infrastructure portfolio rather than source third-party equipment/technologies that are more cumbersome to integrate,” Daryanani added.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The main point was that the American military was not hurting the enemy nearly enough to weaken their commitment to eventual victory.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
