adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃuː.ə.li/
UK:/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃʊ.li/
UK:/ɪˈvɛn.tjʊ.li/
US:/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃu.ə.li/
US:/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃu.li/
US:/ɪˈvɛn.t͡ʃə.li/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH0 V EH1 N CH AH0 W AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH0 V EH1 N SH AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 3:IY0 V EH1 N CH AH0 W AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 4:IY0 V EH1 N SH AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In the end; at some later time, especially after a long time, a series of problems, struggles, delays or setbacks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Everyone's true colors will be revealed eventually.
She didn't arrive. Eventually, we started without her.
He hopes eventually to attend nursing school.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
For some tail; for all terms beyond some term; with only finitely many exceptions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Examples
Eventually, all prime numbers are odd.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Possibly, potentially, perhaps.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, proscribed
Qualifier: non-native speakers' English
Examples
I will come eventually, but haven't decided yet.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: finally
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From eventual + -ly. The third sense is influenced by any of several European languages, including Czech eventuálně, French éventuellement, Swedish eventuellt.
Across languages
Translations
94 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
uiteindelik
— in the end
Afrikaans:
ten slotte
— in the end
Arabic:
أَخِيرًا
(ʔaḵīran)
— in the end
Arabic:
فِي اَلْآخِرْ
(fī l-ʔāḵir)
— in the end
Bulgarian:
накра́я
(nakrája)
— in the end
Catalan:
finalment
— in the end
Chinese Cantonese:
最後 /最后
(ceoi3 hau6)
— in the end
Chinese Cantonese:
終於 /终于
(ci2 zung1)
— in the end
Chinese Cantonese:
始終 /始终
(ci2 zung1)
— in the end
Chinese Cantonese:
終須 /终须
(zung1 seoi1)
— in the end
Chinese Mandarin:
最後 /最后
(zuìhòu)
— in the end
Chinese Mandarin:
終於 /终于
(zhōngyú)
— in the end
Chinese Mandarin:
終究 /终究
(zhōngjiǔ)
— in the end
Chinese Mandarin:
終歸 /终归
(zhōngguī)
— in the end
Chinese Mandarin:
始終 /始终
(shǐzhōng)
— in the end
Czech:
konečně
— in the end
Czech:
nakonec
— in the end
Danish:
til sidst
— in the end
Danish:
omsider
— in the end
Danish:
i sidste instans
— in the end
Danish:
med tiden
— in the end
Danish:
langt om længe
— in the end
Dutch:
uiteindelijk
— in the end
Esperanto:
fine
— in the end
Estonian:
lõpuks
— in the end
Estonian:
viimaks
— in the end
Finnish:
lopulta
— in the end
Finnish:
viimeinkin
— in the end
French:
finalement
— in the end
French:
à terme
— in the end
French:
à la fin
— in the end
French:
finir par
— in the end
German:
schließlich
— in the end
German:
letztendlich
— in the end
Greek:
τελικά
(teliká)
— in the end
Ancient Greek:
χρόνῳ
(khrónōi)
— in the end
Hungarian:
végül
— in the end
Hungarian:
végül is
— in the end
Ido:
tandem
— in the end
Indonesian:
akhirnya
— in the end
Indonesian:
pada akhirnya
— in the end
Interlingua:
finalmente
— in the end
Interlingua:
al fin
— in the end
Irish:
i ndeireadh na dála
— in the end
Italian:
alla fine
— in the end
Italian:
infine
— in the end
Japanese:
とうとう
(tōtō)
— in the end
Japanese:
結局
(kekkyoku)
— in the end
Japanese:
ついに
(tsui-ni)
— in the end
Japanese:
最終的に
(saishūteki ni)
— in the end
Japanese:
やっと
(yatto)
— in the end
Korean:
결국
(gyeolguk)
— in the end
Latin:
tandem
— in the end
Macedonian:
на кра́јот
(na krájot)
— in the end
Māori:
nāwai
— in the end
Māori:
nāwai rā
— in the end
Māori:
tāria te wā
— in the end
Norwegian:
omsider
— in the end
Norwegian Bokmål:
til slutt
— in the end
Norwegian Bokmål:
etter hvert
— in the end
Norwegian Bokmål:
langt om lenge
— in the end
Norwegian Nynorsk:
til slutt
— in the end
Old English:
æt nīehstan
— in the end
Polish:
w końcu
— in the end
Polish:
ostatecznie
— in the end
Polish:
wreszcie
— in the end
Portuguese:
finalmente
— in the end
Portuguese:
enfim
— in the end
Portuguese:
no final das contas
— in the end
Romanian:
în fine
— in the end
Romanian:
la urma urmei
— in the end
Romanian:
în cele din urmă
— in the end
Russian:
в конце́ концо́в
(v koncé koncóv)
— in the end
Russian:
в коне́чном счёте
(v konéčnom sčóte)
— in the end