eventuality
Americannoun
plural
eventualities-
a contingent event; a possible occurrence or circumstance.
Rain is an eventuality to be reckoned with in planning the picnic.
-
the state or fact of being eventual; contingent character.
noun
Etymology
Origin of eventuality
Explanation
An eventuality is an event that just might happen in the future. For example, I store fresh drinking water in the basement to be prepared for several eventualities. You can see the word "event" at the beginning of eventuality. Use that as a clue to remember that an eventuality is an event that might happen — eventually. Winning the lottery, a Mars landing, finding a cure for cancer, nuclear war: these are just some of the eventualities for which we should either get ready or try to prevent. What do you think are some of the eventualities for which the team should prepare? Tripping, falling, and landing on your butt are all eventualities for which the odds will increase during the ice storm.
Vocabulary lists containing eventuality
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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And Then There Were None
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John Lewis (1940–2020) Tribute List
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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.
Fortunately for McIlroy, nobody at Augusta National was better prepared for just such an eventuality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
"Contingency planning is taking place for every eventuality so we can keep costs down for everyone and provide support for those who need it most," she said.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Expectations that the tariffs would drive inflation much higher, for instance — an eventuality that might actually have a genuine effect on the economy and therefore on market values — haven’t been borne out.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
Cignetti’s practices—light on tackling, but heavy on information—had prepared them for precisely this eventuality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025
He might be killed in an accident, or he could die shortly of natural causes, but it would be foolish to count on such an eventuality.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
