inevitable
Americanadjective
-
unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; fated.
an inevitable conclusion.
- Synonyms:
- ineluctable, unavoidable
-
sure to occur, happen, or come; unalterable.
The inevitable end of human life is death.
noun
adjective
-
unavoidable
-
sure to happen; certain
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inevitable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word inēvītābilis; see in- 3, evitable
Explanation
If something is inevitable, it will definitely happen, like death or tax season. Inevitable comes from the Latin word inevitabilis, which means unavoidable. If you say something is inevitable, you give the sense that no matter what scheme you come up with to get around it, it's going to happen sooner or later. You can use all the skin products you want, but wrinkles are inevitable.
Vocabulary lists containing inevitable
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List 7
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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.
Exploring how art can help mediate the inevitable sorrows that visit every life, Almodóvar provocatively layers one fiction on top of another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
AI doomerism and AI resistance might look like opposites, but they share a similar assumption: that AI’s trajectory is largely inevitable and our main role is either to fear it or opt out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
Stephanie Guerilus, 42, said she felt the incident was "inevitable" due to rapid housing development projects seen in her neighborhood.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
Based on the doctor’s grim report, Diana wondered whether they were just prolonging the inevitable.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
The walking had helped him delay the inevitable for a time, but now the sun was peeking over the eastern horizon.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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.
