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.
They beat United Rugby Championship holders Leinster in the final, scoring five tries in a ruthless first-half performance that made the result inevitable with 40 minutes still to play.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
But the way Riley’s screenplay portrays the average shoplifter may help the film skirt the inevitable pearl-clutching and finger-wagging.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Russia's foreign ministry said that those responsible would face "face inevitable and severe punishment".
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
But the lessons of Thucydides don’t point to inevitable rise or decline.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
No event in American history which was so improbable at the time has seemed so inevitable in retrospect as the American Revolution.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
