eter·nal
i-ˈtər-nᵊl 
1
a
: having infinite duration : everlasting
eternal damnation
b
: of or relating to eternity
c
: characterized by abiding fellowship with God
good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?—
Mark 10:17 (Revised Standard Version)
Mark 10:17 (Revised Standard Version)2
a
: continued without intermission : perpetual
an eternal flame
b
: seemingly endless
eternal delays
3
archaic
: infernal
some eternal villain … devised this slander—William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare4
: valid or existing at all times : timeless
eternal verities
1
capitalized
: god sense 1
—used with the
2
: something eternal
Synonyms
Examples of eternal in a Sentence
Adjective
the eternal flames of hell
in search of eternal wisdom
When will his eternal whining stop?
Recent Examples on the WebIsabela Raygoza, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024
In this spiritual moment, Zen Buddhism was born, inspiring the serene and eternal dry or rock gardens called karesansui.
—Paula Deitz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
With hooks and melodies for days alongside a modern, yet eternal, level of crunch and angst, the four women from Toronto have proven themselves to be an elite rock band for the ages.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Of all the things to emulate, to copy and paste from the internet, eternal love seems like a pretty good option.
—Isabelle Stillman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
This is the eternal cry of the civilized man at war, the policeman walking the beat -- and the political conservative.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Through the evening, as the stories go, there was some singing, some weeping, and expressions of eternal affection.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
And though the #MeToo movement and the pandemic drove Americans to hit pause on workplace romances, a February survey from the Society of Human Resources shows that some things are eternal—and young people are down to date their coworkers once again after a hiatus of what seems like years.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
This is a version of Italy in which the land and its culture are eternal, but all our other main characters are past their expiration dates and Ripley is learning to find his own artistry in hastening that expiration.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022
But anyone capable of transcending the eternal now of the news cycle and recalling the debates of a decade ago might hear echoes in the Lemoine story of quite another dispute about personhood and language.
—Sasha Frere-Jones, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
These ancient seas and islands offer some reassuring glimpse of the eternal.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2022
Youth, like hope, seemingly springs eternal at the dawn of a new season.
—New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
But hope springs eternal, maybe more so in baseball than anywhere else.
—John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022
More significantly, if life eternal is to know the only true God, as John 17:3 states, is their salvation at stake?
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Mar. 2022
Hope wasn’t given much of a chance to spring eternal on Monday for the Diamondbacks.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2022
Hope springs eternal, though, as the two never confirmed their breakup with an official statement.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022
Adjective
This single is accompanied by a video filmed in black and white at an airport, directed by Carlos Perez, and portrays the reunion of an eternal love, like those couples who always find a way to meet again.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024
In this spiritual moment, Zen Buddhism was born, inspiring the serene and eternal dry or rock gardens called karesansui.
—Paula Deitz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
With hooks and melodies for days alongside a modern, yet eternal, level of crunch and angst, the four women from Toronto have proven themselves to be an elite rock band for the ages.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Of all the things to emulate, to copy and paste from the internet, eternal love seems like a pretty good option.
—Isabelle Stillman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
This is the eternal cry of the civilized man at war, the policeman walking the beat -- and the political conservative.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
Through the evening, as the stories go, there was some singing, some weeping, and expressions of eternal affection.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
And though the #MeToo movement and the pandemic drove Americans to hit pause on workplace romances, a February survey from the Society of Human Resources shows that some things are eternal—and young people are down to date their coworkers once again after a hiatus of what seems like years.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
This is a version of Italy in which the land and its culture are eternal, but all our other main characters are past their expiration dates and Ripley is learning to find his own artistry in hastening that expiration.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Its charms are straightforward, appealing to the eternal giggly adolescent in all of us.
—Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022
But anyone capable of transcending the eternal now of the news cycle and recalling the debates of a decade ago might hear echoes in the Lemoine story of quite another dispute about personhood and language.
—Sasha Frere-Jones, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
These ancient seas and islands offer some reassuring glimpse of the eternal.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2022
Youth, like hope, seemingly springs eternal at the dawn of a new season.
—New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
But hope springs eternal, maybe more so in baseball than anywhere else.
—John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022
More significantly, if life eternal is to know the only true God, as John 17:3 states, is their salvation at stake?
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Mar. 2022
Hope wasn’t given much of a chance to spring eternal on Monday for the Diamondbacks.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2022
Hope springs eternal, though, as the two never confirmed their breakup with an official statement.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eternal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near eternal
Cite this Entry
“Eternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eternal. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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