eternal

1 of 2

adjective

eter·​nal i-ˈtər-nᵊl How to pronounce eternal (audio)
1
a
: having infinite duration : everlasting
eternal damnation
b
: of or relating to eternity
c
: characterized by abiding fellowship with God
good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?Mark 10:17 (Revised Standard Version)
2
a
: continued without intermission : perpetual
an eternal flame
b
: seemingly endless
eternal delays
3
archaic : infernal
some eternal villain … devised this slanderWilliam Shakespeare
4
: valid or existing at all times : timeless
eternal verities
eternalize transitive verb
eternally adverb
eternalness noun

eternal

2 of 2

noun

1
capitalized : god sense 1
used with the
2
: something eternal

Examples of eternal in a Sentence

Adjective the eternal flames of hell in search of eternal wisdom When will his eternal whining stop?
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
A day of mourning, prayer and fasting, Christians often use the three hours of Jesus' time spent on the cross, as well as the day, to reflect and remember God’s love and promise of eternal life. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 Half full: In spring baseball, hope springs eternal. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Blunt’s dress, from Schiaparelli’s spring 2024 couture show, was made by the eternal proponent the tromp l’oeil, Daniel Roseberry. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 With eternal erasure bearing down, Melfi had been rescued from the ranks of the unclaimed, a classification with powerful, even primal, connotations. Dan Barry, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Whether the Oscars can generate greater enthusiasm for what now looks like a coronation remains to be seen, but the hope springs eternal. Brian Lowry, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Such is the eternal conundrum of the awards season party circuit. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 In the Christian version, Christ is the eventual hero of God’s plan, leading humanity both forward and backward, toward its eternal place with God. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 With Madrid similarly carrying out its preseason preparations in the U.S., an instalment of the world's biggest football derby El Clasico is guaranteed to be the highlight of the two eternal enemies' tours and provide a considerable payday for all concerned. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Its charms are straightforward, appealing to the eternal giggly adolescent in all of us. Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022 But anyone capable of transcending the eternal now of the news cycle and recalling the debates of a decade ago might hear echoes in the Lemoine story of quite another dispute about personhood and language. Sasha Frere-Jones, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022 These ancient seas and islands offer some reassuring glimpse of the eternal. Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2022 Youth, like hope, seemingly springs eternal at the dawn of a new season. New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022 But hope springs eternal, maybe more so in baseball than anywhere else. John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022 More significantly, if life eternal is to know the only true God, as John 17:3 states, is their salvation at stake? The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Mar. 2022 Hope wasn’t given much of a chance to spring eternal on Monday for the Diamondbacks. Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2022 Hope springs eternal, though, as the two never confirmed their breakup with an official statement. Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eternal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin aeternalis, from Latin aeternus eternal, from aevum age, eternity — more at aye

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eternal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near eternal

Cite this Entry

“Eternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eternal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eternal

adjective
eter·​nal
i-ˈtərn-ᵊl
1
: having no beginning and no end : lasting forever
eternal bliss
2
: continuing without interruption
that dog's eternal barking
eternally
-ᵊl-ē
adverb
eternalness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on eternal

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