Standard Lemma guide

inevitably

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.

  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/
  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /ɪˈnɛvətəbli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N EH1 V AH0 T AH0 B L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a manner that is impossible to avoid or prevent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Inevitably, all creatures eventually die.
  • The sun inevitably rises.
  • Despite the town's best efforts, the dam inevitably gave way.
  • The inevitably cold winter approaches.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

As usual; predictably; as expected.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • 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.
  • The inevitably long line of customers queued for the latest 'Harry Potter'.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it is necessarily so
  • we must needs by objective

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: necessarily, of necessity, needs

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

by necessity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the situation slid inescapably toward disaster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inescapably, ineluctably, unavoidably

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: onvermydelik — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Albanian: pashmangshmërisht — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Belarusian: непазбе́жна (njepazbjéžna) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Belarusian: неміну́ча (njeminúča) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Belarusian: няўхі́льна (njawxílʹna) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Bulgarian: неизбе́жно (neizbéžno) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Catalan: inevitablement — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 必將 /必将 (bìjiāng) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 必然 (bìrán) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不可避免地 (bùkě bìmiǎn de) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Czech: nevyhnutelně — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Czech: neodvratně — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Danish: uundgåelig — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Dutch: onvermijdelijk — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Esperanto: neeviteble — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Finnish: vääjäämättä — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Finnish: vääjäämättömästi — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Finnish: väistämättömästi — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • French: inévitablement — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Galician: inevitablemente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Galician: inevitabelmente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • German: zwangsläufig — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Greek: αναπόφευκτα (anapófefkta) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Greek: αναπότρεπτα (anapótrepta) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Greek: σίγουρα (sígoura) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Hungarian: elkerülhetetlenül — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Hungarian: óhatatlanul — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Hungarian: szükségszerűen — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Italian: inevitabilmente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Japanese: 起こるべくして (okorubekushite) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Japanese: 当然 (tōzen) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Japanese: 必ず (kanarazu) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Japanese: 必然的に (hitsuzenteki ni) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Kazakh: болмай қоймайтын (bolmai qoimaityn) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Macedonian: неизбежно (neizbežno) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uunngåelig — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uvegerlig — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Occitan: inevitablament — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Old English: unforbugendlīċe — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Polish: nieuchronnie — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Portuguese: inevitavelmente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Romanian: inevitabil — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Romanian: în mod inevitabil — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Russian: неизбе́жно (neizbéžno) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Russian: немину́емо (neminújemo) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏избе̄жно — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏избје̄жно — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅizbēžno — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅizbjēžno — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Slovak: nevyhnutne — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Slovene: neizogibno — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Spanish: inevitablemente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Spanish: indefectiblemente — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Swedish: ofrånkomligen — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Turkish: ister istemez — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Ukrainian: немину́че (nemynúče) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Ukrainian: невідворо́тно (nevidvorótno) — in a manner that this impossible to avoid
  • Esperanto: neeviteble — as usual
  • Finnish: poikkeuksetta — as usual
  • French: inévitablement — as usual
  • German: erwartbarerweise — as usual
  • Hungarian: szokás szerint — as usual
Real reading context

inevitably in complete knowledge articles