See also: inévitable

English edit

 
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Etymology edit

From Middle French inevitable, from Latin inēvītābilis (unavoidable), from in- + ēvītābilis (avoidable), from ēvītāre (to avoid), from ē- (out) + vītāre (to shun).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ɪnˈɛvɪtəbəl/
  • (file)

Adjective edit

inevitable (not comparable)

  1. Impossible to avoid or prevent.
    We were going so fast that the collision was inevitable.
    • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99:
      To do the job thoroughly sentiment must be ignored and it seems inevitable that the famous Great Hall and the Doric Arch will have to be sacrificed to progress.
  2. Predictable or always happening.
    My outburst met with the inevitable punishment.
    • 2012 May 9, Jonathan Wilson, “Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao”, in the Guardian[1]:
      Every break seemed dangerous and Falcao clearly had the beating of Amorebieta. Others, being forced to stretch a foot behind them to control Arda Turan's 34th-minute cross, might simply have lashed a shot on the turn; Falcao, though, twisted back on to his left foot, leaving Amorebieta in a heap, and thumped in an inevitable finish – his 12th goal in 15 European matches this season.
    • 1912, Willa Cather, The Bohemian Girl:
      This horse and rider, with their free, rhythmical gallop, were the only moving things to be seen on the face of the flat country. They seemed, in the last sad light of evening, not to be there accidentally, but as an inevitable detail of the landscape.

Usage notes edit

Largely synonymous with unavoidable, slightly more formal (borrowed as a unit from Latin, rather than formed in English), and with nuances of a natural consequence that occurs after – “inevitable punishment”, “inevitable result”. By contrast, unavoidable has some nuance of existing circumstances – “I was unavoidably detained.” – without there necessarily being a cause.

Further, unavoidable has nuances of “could not have happened any other way, even if circumstances were different”, while inevitable connotes “given circumstances, this is the necessary result.” Compare “the disaster was inevitable”, meaning “sooner or later the disaster would happen (because they did not prepare)” with “the disaster was unavoidable”, meaning “even if they had prepared, the disaster would have happened”.

Often used with a negative connotation, but may be used with a positive or neutral sense of fate, as in “Given our preparations, our victory was inevitable.” in which case *unavoidable would sound strange, since something like a victory would not generally be seen as something to avoid.

In the same manner, impreventable and inevitable have different nuances. The sense “the disease was inevitable” means “It was natural to suffer the disease”; the sense “the disease was impreventable” means “There were no preventive methods against the disease”.

Thus, "inevitable" indicates "unable to avoid due to natural or necessary matters", "unavoidable" indicates "unable to avoid due to incidental matters", impreventable indicates "unable to avoid due to the absence of preventive methods".

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

inevitable (plural inevitables)

  1. Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Romance and Reality. [], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, [], →OCLC, page 98:
      I pass also the jealousies, the quarrels, the disgusts, that make the catholic questions and corn-bills of married life—and only dwell on one particular: some irresistible hat, some adorable cap, some exquisite robe, has rather elongated your milliner's list of inevitables...
    • 2009 August 22, Murray Whyte, “Seeking successors to the Queen West gallery scene”, in Toronto Star[2]:
      In the migratory patterns of the city's art scenes, there are two inevitables: First, that neighbourhoods where art makes its home become instantly more attractive; and second, because of it, art won't be at home for long.

Antonyms edit

References edit

Further reading edit

Asturian edit

Etymology edit

From Latin inēvītābilis.

Adjective edit

inevitable (epicene, plural inevitables)

  1. inevitable

Related terms edit

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

From in- +‎ evitable.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

inevitable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inevitables)

  1. inevitable

Derived terms edit

Galician edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Latin inēvītābilis.

Adjective edit

inevitable m or f (plural inevitables)

  1. inevitable
    Antonym: evitable

Derived terms edit

Middle French edit

Adjective edit

inevitable m or f (plural inevitables)

  1. inevitable; unavoidable

Descendants edit

  • French: inévitable

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

From Latin inēvītābilis.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /inebiˈtable/ [i.ne.β̞iˈt̪a.β̞le]
  • Rhymes: -able
  • Syllabification: i‧ne‧vi‧ta‧ble

Adjective edit

inevitable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inevitables)

  1. inevitable, inescapable, unavoidable (unable to be avoided)
    Synonyms: inescapable, insoslayable
    Antonym: evitable

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit