• Inevitable

    Pronunciation

    • IPA: /ɪnˈɛvɪtÉ™bÉ™l/

    Origin

    From Middle French inevitable, from Latin inevitabilis ("unavoidable"), from in + evitabilis ("avoidable"), from evitare ("to avoid"), from e ("out") + vitare ("to shun").

    Full definition of inevitable

    Adjective

    inevitable

    1. Impossible to avoid or prevent.We were going so fast that the collision was inevitable.
    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, 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.

    Usage notes

    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 is not acceptable.

    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 was 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

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Noun

    inevitable

    (plural inevitables)
    1. Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.
      • 2009, August 22, Murray Whyte, Seeking successors to the Queen West gallery scene, 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

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