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.
A week after taking office, Bass launched Inside Safe, looking to move homeless people out of sprawling encampments and into hotels and motels — and eventually, permanent homes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
He lived in hiding for two years in Hanoi, but was eventually detained by Vietnamese police and deported back home.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Railroad companies eventually owned the land alongside their tracks, and telecom companies eventually owned the cables.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
Drugmakers eventually slashed prices to about $200 a month from roughly $1,000 a month before insurers would cover them broadly.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
“There was a perfectly fine entrance on the other side,” she eventually said, indicating the snow tunnel behind her.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
