inevitable
ih-NEH-vih-tuh-buhl
Inevitable (adjective) means Certain to happen; impossible to avoid or prevent. Example: “After weeks of heavy rain, the flooding of the river seemed inevitable.”
adjective
1
Certain to happen; impossible to avoid or prevent.
"After weeks of heavy rain, the flooding of the river seemed inevitable."
"With both sides refusing to compromise, conflict seemed inevitable."
"Change is inevitable in any growing business."
2
Predictable, because it always happens in this kind of situation.
"As usual, the inevitable traffic jam slowed us down on Friday evening."
"The inevitable complaints about the cold soup came as soon as dinner started."
"The inevitable questions about her personal life came up in the interview."
How to use inevitable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that's definitely going to happen no matter what you try to do about it.
Common pairings
seem inevitable
the inevitable happened
an inevitable consequence
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like inevitable.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- inevitables
- Comparative
- more inevitable
- Superlative
- most inevitable
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
After weeks of heavy rain, the flooding of the river seemed _____.
Etymology
From Latin inēvītābilis, "unavoidable" — in- + ēvītāre, "to avoid," from ē- ("out") + vītāre ("to shun").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for inevitable
See all rhymes for inevitable →Frequently asked questions
What does “inevitable” mean?
The word “inevitable” means certain to happen; impossible to avoid or prevent. In plain terms, something that's definitely going to happen no matter what you try to do about it.
How do you pronounce “inevitable”?
“Inevitable” is pronounced ih-NEH-vih-tuh-buhl (/ɪˈnɛvɪtəbəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “inevitable” in a sentence?
Here is “inevitable” used in a sentence: “With both sides refusing to compromise, conflict seemed inevitable.”
What is another word for “inevitable”?
Words with a similar meaning to “inevitable” include unavoidable, impreventable, avoidless, fatal, foregone and ineluctable.
What is the opposite of “inevitable”?
The opposite of “inevitable” — its antonyms — are evitable, escapable, avoidable, preventable and impossible.
What part of speech is “inevitable”?
“Inevitable” is an adjective.
Where does the word “inevitable” come from?
The word “inevitable” comes from Latin. From Latin inēvītābilis, "unavoidable" — in- + ēvītāre, "to avoid," from ē- ("out") + vītāre ("to shun").
Is “inevitable” a common word?
“Inevitable” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between inevitable and unavoidable?
They are close synonyms, and in most sentences either works. "Unavoidable" is the plainer, everyday word for something that cannot be dodged, while "inevitable" is slightly more formal and usually points to an outcome that is certain to happen, as in "defeat was inevitable". "Inevitable" also carries a sense of destiny or logical certainty that "unavoidable" lacks.
What is the difference between inevitable and imminent?
"Inevitable" means certain to happen, whenever that may be; "imminent" means about to happen very soon. An event can be inevitable but not imminent, as with retirement decades away, and something imminent, like a storm forecast for tonight, may still be avoided.
Can inevitable describe something predictable rather than truly unavoidable?
Yes. Alongside its strict meaning of "impossible to prevent", inevitable is often used for things that are predictable because they always happen in a given situation, as in "the inevitable arguments about who would drive". Here the word signals weary familiarity rather than literal certainty.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include inevitable:
