# ETA

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/eta
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. estimated time of arrival

noun · CEFR B1

Stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. It is the time you expect to arrive at a destination.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Estimated Time of Arrival. Used to denote the projected time at which a vehicle, person, or shipment is expected to reach its destination.

- My GPS says my ETA is 6:30 PM, but there is a lot of traffic.
- The courier provided an updated ETA of 2:00 PM, though the dispatcher warned that inclement weather might cause further delays.

Usage: Often used without an article in shorthand communication like 'ETA 10 minutes'.

### 2. Greek letter

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

The name of the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet.

For teachers: The seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (Η, η), representing a long vowel in Ancient Greek and a high front vowel in Modern Greek.

- The professor wrote the Greek letter eta on the chalkboard during the lecture.
- In many scientific formulas, the lowercase Greek letter eta is used to represent variables such as viscosity or efficiency.

### 3. edited to add

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

Used in online comments to show that you changed your post to add more information.

For teachers: Abbreviation for 'edited to add'. Used as a verb or a marker in digital forums to indicate a post-publication amendment to a comment.

- ETA: I forgot to mention that the store is closed on Sundays.
- The user quickly added an ETA to their original post to clarify the source of the controversial statistics they had cited.

Teaching tip: This is specific to internet forums and social media; it is not used in formal writing or professional emails.

## Examples

- What is your ETA for the meeting?
- The delivery app shows an ETA of twenty minutes, so we should start setting the table now.
- Despite the heavy fog delaying the flight's departure, the pilot provided an updated ETA that accounted for the strong tailwinds expected during the journey.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.