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.
But if companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google overshoot a bit in their data-center build-outs, they at least have the comfort of knowing they eventually can make use of that capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Over time, some of these nuclei convert protons into neutrons, moving toward a more stable balance and eventually forming p-nuclei.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Prevent is a Home Office initiative aimed at stopping individuals from becoming extremists and eventually carrying out attacks.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
To improve, she said, more investment in permanent housing is needed so people have a place to go and don’t get stuck in interim beds where they eventually get fed up or kicked out.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Lower and lower his back arched as his poor knees bent, eventually bringing him flat on the ground with the table straddled above him.
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.
