immortal
Americanadjective
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not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying.
our immortal souls.
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remembered or celebrated through all time.
the immortal words of Lincoln.
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not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting.
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perpetual; lasting; constant.
an immortal enemy.
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of or relating to immortal beings or immortality.
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(of a laboratory-cultured cell line) capable of dividing indefinitely.
adjective
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not subject to death or decay; having perpetual life
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having everlasting fame; remembered throughout time
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everlasting; perpetual; constant
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of or relating to immortal beings or concepts
noun
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an immortal being
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(often plural) a person who is remembered enduringly, esp an author
Dante is one of the immortals
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of immortal
1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Latin immortālis. See im- 2, mortal
Explanation
Immortal describes what will never die. Do you like vampires? Those blood-suckers are immortal, and will live forever — except, of course, if you drive a stake through their heart. The word immortal can refer a supernatural being who is worshipped by others, or is a divinity or God in human form, like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology. Immortal can also mean "a person whose fame lasts for many years." If you're a sports legend or a well-known author, you may be remembered as an immortal in your field. Immortal comes from the Old French word immortalité, meaning "deathlessness."
Vocabulary lists containing immortal
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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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.
See Examples For:
He had to portray Stallone but also the iconic character of Rocky, an immortal of pop culture.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
In the 2018 national championship, Saban produced one of college football’s immortal moments by yanking starter Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa, who led an Alabama comeback and threw the winning touchdown in overtime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Young people think they are immortal and indestructible.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
“I’m totally tickled. I’ve just been skipping up and down the street. It’s so delightful,” says the New Yorker, who was nominated for playing immortal island founder Richard Warren the day after his 50th birthday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Practicing on himself will help him make those immortal portraits he so much wants to create, to give to the world the sense of the infinite.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Over five books, it grows into a sprawling story of war, power and morally ambiguous immortals, in a formula that leaves its audience of mostly young women swooning.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Not about Messi's place among football's immortals, but about whether, for the remainder of this World Cup, somebody else should be taking penalties during normal play.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Alexander Pope’s early 18th-century translation of the story of Odysseus calls the hero Ulysses and favors Roman names for the immortals of Olympus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
May Fernando Valenzuela join baseball’s other immortals in Cooperstown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2024
For the rest you will keep her, you and the happy immortals.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
