eventually
Americanadverb
adverb
-
at the very end; finally
-
(as sentence modifier) after a long time or long delay
eventually, he arrived
Etymology
Origin of eventually
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.
Vocabulary lists containing eventually
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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.
Many patients eventually develop heart failure, a condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
A year later, after a stint with Thelonious Monk’s pioneering group, the saxophonist returned to Davis’s quintet and eventually played, with great credit, on Davis’s legendary 1959 album, “Kind of Blue.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The discovery challenges the long-held assumption that heart muscle lost during an attack cannot regenerate and could eventually help scientists develop new treatments for cardiovascular disease.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
He started as an engineer and rose through the ranks, eventually leading several divisions before taking over and designing the company’s breakup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Hi, Chris. Yes, I’m here with a member of the undercover operation that eventually located Mrs. Callahan. What can you tell us about the arrest today?”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
