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

"This will inevitably have consequences which councils do their best to minimise for their communities."

From BBC • May 14, 2026

But she inevitably felt those scenes had been played out before in film and television.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

This no doubt added to its exotic allure in London, but inevitably feels more familiar to audiences here.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

"Defenses will inevitably be breached, so resilience must also be a priority, specifically to limit how far incidents spread and ensure rapid recovery," the report said.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

His work, inevitably, had to be toned down for publication and did not appear unbowdlerized until 1921.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• necessarily
• surely