inevitably

WOTD – 5 December 2007    

English

Etymology

inevitable +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• (RP, US) IPA: /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/, /ɪˈnɛvətəbli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

inevitably (not comparable)

1. In a manner that is impossible to avoid or prevent.

   Inevitably, all creatures eventually die.

   The sun inevitably rises.

   Despite the town's best efforts, the dam inevitably gave way.

   The inevitably cold winter approaches.

2. As usual; predictably; as expected.

   Inevitably, the next-door neighbour began to mow his lawn just as she lay down her head after a long night shift.

   The child inevitably began to cry when his mother went to work.

   The inevitably long line of customers queued for the latest 'Harry Potter'.

Synonyms

• (in a manner that this impossible to avoid): inexorably, unavoidably
• (as usual): always, predictably, regularly

Antonyms

• (in a manner that this impossible to avoid): evitably, avoidably
• (as usual): unexpectedly, unusually

Related terms

• inevitability
• inevitable

Translations

in a manner that this impossible to avoid

• Catalan: inevitablement (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 必將 (cmn), 必将 (cmn) (bìjiāng), 必然 (cmn) (bìrán), 不可避免地 (cmn) (bùkě bìmiǎn de)

• Czech: nevyhnutelně (cs), neodvratně (cs)
• Finnish: vääjäämättä (fi), vääjäämättömästi (fi), väistämättömästi (fi)
• French: inévitablement (fr)
• Galician: inevitablemente (gl), inevitabelmente (gl)

• German: zwangsläufig (de)
• Greek: σίγουρα (el) (sígoura)
• Italian: inevitabilmente (it)
• Occitan: inevitablament (oc)
• Portuguese: inevitavelmente (pt)
• Russian: неизбежно (ru) (neizbéžno)
• Spanish: inevitablemente (es)

as usual

• Finnish: poikkeuksetta (fi)

• French: inévitablement (fr)