Dictionary

inevitably en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ɪˈnɛvətəbli/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
• /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English inevitable Middle English -ly English -ly English inevitably From inevitable + -ly.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) In a manner that is impossible to avoid or prevent.
   • He could also fulfill his campaign promise to launch the “largest deportation operation in American history,” targeting millions of people in an abuse-ridden process that would inevitably lead to the mistaken detention of thousands of U.S. citizens. 2025 February 11, Steven Levitsky, Lucan A. Way, “The Path to American Authoritarianism”, in Foreign Affairs, archived from the original on 12 Feb 2025:
   • Inevitably, all creatures eventually die.
   • Despite the town's best efforts, the dam inevitably gave way.
   • The inevitably cold winter approaches.
   • In a period of transition from steam to diesel, many of the schemes are inevitably of an interim nature and only on full dieselisation will the final pattern be determined and full benefit derived. 1960 June 14, “Diesel locomotive operation on the Great Eastern Line”, in Trains Illustrated, page 374:
   • The sun inevitably rises.
   • Will this decision-making paralysis continue until Great British Railways has been established and settled into a new rhythm? If so, passengers on the West of England line are in for a rough ride, as the reliability of these tired old British Rail trains inevitably declines, and maintenance costs rise. 2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, page 7:
2. (not-comparable) As usual; predictably; as expected.
   • The inevitably long line of customers queued for the latest 'Harry Potter'.
   • Inevitably, the next-door neighbour began to mow his lawn just as she lays down her head after a long night shift.
   • The child inevitably began to cry when his mother went to work.
   • Far from it: direct military intervention by a Western state – even if Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is requesting it – would dramatically worsen the situation, and ISIS, contrary to what pro-interventionists might say, would inevitably come out on top. 2014 June 20, Charlie Cooper, “Why the West must ignore Iraq’s pleas for military intervention”, in CNN, archived from the original on 18 Feb 2016:

Antonyms

unusually (antonym(s) of “as usual”) · impossibly (antonym(s) of “in a manner that is impossible to avoid”) · evitably (antonym(s) of “in a manner that is impossible to avoid”) · avoidably (antonym(s) of “in a manner that is impossible to avoid”) · unexpectedly (antonym(s) of “as usual”) · incidentally (antonym(s) of “in a manner that is impossible to avoid”)

Relateds

inevitability · inevitable · intrinsically

Synonyms

unavoidably (in a manner that is impossible to avoid) · always (as usual) · predictably (as usual) · sure as fate · necessarily (in a manner that is impossible to avoid) · sure as a gun · surely · certainly (in a manner that is impossible to avoid) · inescapably · unrelentingly · inexorably (in a manner that is impossible to avoid) · relentlessly · ineluctably · in rerum natura (in a manner that is impossible to avoid) · inevitably · regularly (as usual)

Translations (64)

ang unforbugendlīċe (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · gl inevitabelmente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · fi vääjäämättä (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · fi vääjäämättömästi (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · nb uunngåelig (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · fr inévitablement (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sh nȅizbēžno (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · eo neeviteble (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · pt inevitavelmente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · nb uvegerlig (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · el σίγουρα (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · hu szükségszerűen (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · cmn 必將 /必将 (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · da uundgåelig (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sh не̏избје̄жно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · hu elkerülhetetlenül (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sq pashmangshmërisht (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · be неміну́ча (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · tr ister istemez (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ja 起こるべくして (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · be непазбе́жна (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · gl inevitablemente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · es inevitablemente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · el αναπότρεπτα (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · pl nieuniknienie (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · af onvermydelik (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ca inevitablement (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ru неизбе́жно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ja 必ず (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · uk немину́че (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ro inevitabil (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sh nȅizbjēžno (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ja 必然的に (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · kk болмай қоймайтын (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · be няўхі́льна (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · pl jak zwykle (as usual) · mk неизбежно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · el αναπόφευκτα (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · bg неизбе́жно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · cs nevyhnutelně (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · fi poikkeuksetta (as usual) · fr inévitablement (as usual) · uk невідворо́тно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · fi väistämättömästi (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · es indefectiblemente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sh не̏избе̄жно (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · cs neodvratně (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · hu szokás szerint (as usual) · oc inevitablament (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · de zwangsläufig (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ja 当然 (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · eo neeviteble (as usual) · hu óhatatlanul (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sl neizogibno (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · de erwartbarerweise (as usual) · pl nieuchronnie (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · cmn 不可避免地 (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · it inevitabilmente (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sk nevyhnutne (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ro în mod inevitabil (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · cmn 必然 (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · ru немину́емо (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · nl onvermijdelijk (in a manner that this impossible to avoid) · sv ofrånkomligen (in a manner that this impossible to avoid)