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Synonyms

eventually

American  
[ih-ven-choo-uh-lee] / ɪˈvɛn tʃu ə li /

adverb

  1. finally; ultimately; at some later time.

    Eventually we will own the house free and clear.


eventually British  
/ ɪˈvɛntʃʊəlɪ /

adverb

  1. at the very end; finally

  2. (as sentence modifier) after a long time or long delay

    eventually, he arrived

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of eventually

First recorded in 1650–60; eventual + -ly

Explanation

Eventually refers to an unspecific time when something will be completed, and it usually suggests it won't be done soon. Think of eventually being said with a big sigh, as though the speaker knows that it will take a long time before something will be finished. Still, it does allow for the hope that, although it might not be anytime soon, it will be done at last — a promise fulfilled. Not now, maybe, but eventually.

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Vocabulary lists containing eventually

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.

See Examples For:

Previous research studies have indicated that repeated exposure to small amounts of mycotoxins can add up over time and may eventually create health concerns.

From Science Daily Aug. 28, 2026

She pestered him to manage the property for timber production and eventually he relented.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 28, 2026

The charge was eventually dropped after a court ruled that video and audio from secretly installed cameras at the massage parlor could not be used as evidence.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 2026

However, the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlovic, a Munich-born midfielder and Bayern academy graduate, eventually sealed Goretzka's fate.

From BBC Aug. 27, 2026

The sand eventually feeds into a beautiful garden of vegetation and plants that look as big as trees.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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