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
100 Top "SAT" Words
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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.
Like David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart,” the plotting doesn’t hew so closely to the Yellow Brick Road that its beats feel inevitable.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Barrister Dr Douglas Maxwell told MPs it was "almost inevitable" that further legal challenges would be brought under human rights law once the new legislation is introduced.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
Both phenomena made Bowlero possible and, plenty might argue, inevitable.
From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026
Against the backdrop of the impending presidential election—cue laughter at references to Hillary Clinton’s inevitable win—their affinities and hopes emerge and diverge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Some physicians said there was nothing inevitable about Garfield's death from the bullet wound.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
