eternal

[ih-tur-nl]

adjective

1. without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (temporal ).

   eternal life.

   Synonyms: permanent
   Antonyms: transitory

2. perpetual; ceaseless; endless.

   eternal quarreling;

   eternal chatter.

3. enduring; immutable.

   eternal principles.

   Synonyms: indestructible, imperishable, undying, deathless, immortal, timeless
   Antonyms: mutable

4. Metaphysics.,  existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.

noun

1. something that is eternal.

2. the Eternal. God.

eternal

/ ɪˈtɜːnəl /

adjective

1. 1. without beginning or end; lasting for ever

      eternal life

   2. ( as noun )

      the eternal

2. (often capital) denoting or relating to that which is without beginning and end, regarded as an attribute of God

3. unchanged by time, esp being true or valid for all time; immutable

   eternal truths

4. seemingly unceasing; occurring again and again

   eternal bickering

Other Word Forms

• eternality noun
• eternally adverb
• eternalness noun
• noneternal adjective
• noneternalness noun
• preeternal adjective
• quasi-eternal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eternal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eternale, eterneel, from Old French eternal, eternel, from Late Latin aeternālis, equivalent to aetern(us) ( eterne ) + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eternal¹

C14: from Late Latin aeternālis, from Latin aeternus; related to Latin aevum age

Synonym Study

Eternal, endless, everlasting, perpetual imply lasting or going on without ceasing. That which is eternal is, by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father. That which is endless never stops but goes on continuously as if in a circle: an endless succession of years. That which is everlasting will endure through all future time: a promise of everlasting life. Perpeptual implies continuous renewal as far into the future as one can foresee: perpetual strife between nations.

Example Sentences

Putin suggested even eternal life could be achievable as a result of innovations in biotechnology, according to a translation of remarks caught on a hot mic.

From BBC

Mr Veevers' long wait for "eternal peace" will not be over any time soon.

From BBC

Altman quickly snapped back into Silicon Valley’s eternal brand of sunshine, saying he feels OpenAI has a “good shot” at threading the needle between troubling dependence on machine learning and a useful tool.

From Salon

You need a closer so you don’t have the eternal optimist Roberts looking oddly despondent late Sunday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times

Representations of the religious teacher started out as nearly abstract symbols a few thousand years ago — a starburst shape inside a spiraling whorl, for example, which configures an emanation of light within an eternal flow.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abiding 
• boundless 
• constant 
• continual 
• continued 
• enduring 
• everlasting 
• immortal 
• immutable 
• indestructible 
• infinite 
• interminable 
• lasting 
• never-ending 
• perennial 
• permanent 
• perpetual 
• relentless 
• timeless 
• unceasing