inevitably

American  

[in-ev-i-tuh-blee] / ɪnˈɛv ɪ tə bli /

adverb

1. in a way that cannot be avoided or escaped; as will certainly or necessarily happen.

   All we parents can do is our best, and when we inevitably screw up, we know that tomorrow's another day.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-inevitably
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of inevitably

inevitab(le) ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

If something is totally unavoidable, it is inevitably going to happen. Inevitably, the sun will come up tomorrow. The adverb inevitably comes from the negative of the French word for "avoid" or "shun." There are things you can put off for a while, but inevitably you're going to have to deal with them at some point, like telling your family that you crashed the car. No matter how free-spirited you imagine yourself, unless you are independently wealthy, you will inevitably have to settle down and get some sort of job, like writing and editing word definitions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inevitably

The U.S. and Canadian economies are so closely linked that the tariffs will inevitably bring mutual pain.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

“With recession risks low, I would not look at it as a front burner issue, but one to keep in the back of your mind when the next recession inevitably comes,” Clissold wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

But the growing outrage has inevitably become a flashpoint amid broader, simmering grievances felt by Vietnam's youth.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

The group exhibition “To Share a Stomach” is a bit like the children’s game Telephone, in which a phrase, whispered from person to person, inevitably comes out a bit garbled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

It was inevitably how they spent half the visit.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Related Words

• necessarily
• surely