Word
inevitable
Phoneticsin·evitable
US/ˌɪˈnɛvətəbəɫ/
UK/ɪnˈɛvɪtəbəl/
Definitions
01unavoidable
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
adj. used to describe something that you cannot avoid or prevent from happening.
adj. incapable of being avoided or evaded; bound to happen by necessity or as a natural consequence.
日本語:不可避※
“With the dark clouds moving in, it was inevitable that it would rain.”
“Given the lack of investment in infrastructure, the eventual failure of the power grid became inevitable despite the engineers' warnings.”
Usage
Often follows 'it is' or 'it seems' as a predicative adjective.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02predictable
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. happening so often that you always expect it.
adj. predictable or always occurring in a specific context, often used with a slight tone of criticism for lack of originality.
“The movie had the inevitable happy ending where everyone lived happily ever after.”
“The politician gave the inevitable speech about unity, though few in the audience believed his words were sincere.”
Teaching tip
In this sense, the word suggests that something is boring because it is so easy to guess.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03an unavoidable event
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a situation or event that is impossible to avoid.
n. an event or circumstance that is unavoidable; frequently used in the singular with the definite article 'the'.
日本語:必然※
“Instead of fighting the inevitable, he decided to retire and enjoy his time.”
“By refusing to sign the contract, she was merely delaying the inevitable rather than changing the final outcome.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “inevitable” in context.
Verb
01. accept the inevitable
“When the company announced the layoffs, most employees simply had to accept the inevitable.”
verb + adj
02. become inevitable
“Conflict became inevitable once the peace talks broke down completely.”
verb + adj
03. seem inevitable
“After the third goal, a defeat for the home team began to seem inevitable.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. inevitable that the project
“It was inevitable that the project would face some delays due to the weather.”
adj + that-clause
05. virtually inevitable
“With such high inflation, a rise in interest rates is virtually inevitable.”
adv + adj
Noun
06. inevitable consequence of growth
“Increased traffic is an inevitable consequence of urban growth.”
adj + noun + prep + noun
07. inevitable result
“The failure of the business was the inevitable result of poor management.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“Our joints are subject to the inevitable wear-and-tear of age, but low-impact exercise can help.” “This suggests that they may not be inevitable stages that life would pass through anywhere, but surpassingly rare accidents.” Etymology
From Middle French inevitable, from Latin inēvītābilis (“unavoidable”), from in- + ēvītābilis (“avoidable”), from ēvītāre (“to avoid”), from ē- (“out”) + vītāre (“to shun”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/inevitable
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0