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
Examples of eternal in a Sentence
Adjective
the eternal flames of hell
in search of eternal wisdom
When will his eternal whining stop?
Noun
spent much time pondering the nature of the Eternal
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The eternal language of euphemism—swords and lightning—had begun its work, displacing the reality of bullets breaking bodies.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for eternal
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Adjective
It’s not designed to disrupt trends but remain a ‘classic’ outside of them with some eternal rock ‘n’ roll edge.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The eternal language of euphemism—swords and lightning—had begun its work, displacing the reality of bullets breaking bodies.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for eternal
Cite this Entry
“Eternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eternal. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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