English Reference
adjective · noun

inevitable

adj. · n.
US /ˌɪˈnɛvətəbəɫ/ UK /ɪnˈɛvɪtəbəl/ in·evitable

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Humorous

    adj.happening so often that you always expect it.

    adj.predictable or occurring with such regularity that it is expected as a matter of course.

    Simple

    After the long meeting, he made his inevitable joke about needing a coffee.

    In context

    The politician gave the inevitable speech about family values, which the press had heard dozens of times before.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a situation or event that you cannot stop from happening.

    n.an event or circumstance that is unavoidable. Often used with the definite article 'the'.

    Simple

    Instead of fighting the changes at work, she finally accepted the inevitable.

    In context

    By delaying the announcement, the board was merely postponing the inevitable rather than solving the underlying financial crisis.

Usage inevitable part

Our joints are subject to the inevitable wear-and-tear of age, but low-impact exercise can help.

ScienceDaily· 16 Aug 2026

This suggests that they may not be inevitable stages that life would pass through anywhere, but surpassingly rare accidents.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

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.

This entry
Origin Latin inēvītābilis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated