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
Derived 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.
The authors stress that these outcomes are not inevitable.
From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026
Others would characterize the plague less as a turning point than a speed bump that slowed Europe’s inevitable ascent.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
The issue is that they accept the premise that AI is so necessary, so all-seeing and so inevitable that we’re using it even in situations where our knowledge and experience have always been sufficient.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
Isn't this just an added, but inevitable complexity of growing up?
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
After the loss at Normandy, Adolf Hitler realized that an invasion of Germany was inevitable.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
