ineluctable

American  

[in-i-luhk-tuh-buhl] / ˌɪn ɪˈlʌk tə bəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being evaded; inescapable.

   an ineluctable destiny.

   Synonyms:

   fated, sure, certain, inexorable, unstoppable, unpreventable, irrevocable, unavoidable, inevitable

---

ineluctable British  

/ ˌɪnɪˈlʌktəbəl /

adjective

1. (esp of fate) incapable of being avoided; inescapable

---

Other Word Forms

• ineluctability noun
• ineluctably adverb

Etymology

Origin of ineluctable

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin inēluctābilis, equivalent to in- negative and privative prefix + ēluctā(rī) “to force a way out or over, surmount” (from ē- verbal prefix + luctārī “to wrestle”) + -bilis adjective suffix; e- ¹, in- ³, -ble

Example Sentences

I, too, am drawn by this ineluctable desire to become sentimental about John and Paul.

From Salon

But our relationship took on an ineluctable momentum, and by October, I was pregnant.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s meant to provide an ineluctable link between the modern event and the ancient Greek original on which it was initially modelled.

From Seattle Times

Associated economic theories about the ineluctable rise of worldwide free market capitalism took on a similar sheen of invincibility and inevitability.

From New York Times

She drains the terrible scene of histrionics and elevates it into something concerning but calm, quiet, almost ineluctable.

From Washington Post