eternal

1 of 2

adjective

eter·​nal i-ˈtər-nᵊl 

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 slander

—William Shakespeare

4

: valid or existing at all times : timeless

eternal verities

eternalize

i-ˈtər-nə-ˌlīz 

transitive verb

eternally

i-ˈtər-nᵊl-ē 

adverb

eternalness noun

eternal

2 of 2

noun

1

capitalized : god sense 1

—used with the

2

: something eternal

Synonyms

Adjective

• abiding
• ageless
• continuing
• dateless
• enduring
• everlasting
• immortal
• imperishable
• lasting
• ongoing
• perennial
• perpetual
• timeless
• undying

Noun

• Allah
• Almighty
• Author
• Creator
• deity
• Divinity
• Everlasting
• Father
• God
• Godhead
• Jehovah
• King
• Lord
• Maker
• Providence
• Supreme Being
• Yahweh
• Jahveh
• Yahveh

Examples of eternal in a Sentence

Adjective

the eternal flames of hell

in search of eternal wisdom

When will his eternal whining stop?

Noun

spent much time pondering the nature of the Eternal

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That’s part of the fun of writing the show with these sort of eternal characters, who’ve been around forever. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2024

Kim uses lady bugs as berries to symbolize good fortune, the wreaths to symbolize eternal unity and the candles to symbolize light in darkness. —Bakr Muhammad, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 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

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

Phrases Containing eternal

• eternal flame

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