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
Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025
Barca opened up a seven-point lead at the summit by beating its other eternal rival Real Madrid 4-3 in El Clasico at the weekend.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 15 May 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
Throughout the book’s 26 chapters, Blume examines the question of whether or not first loves are eternal.
—Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025
Barca opened up a seven-point lead at the summit by beating its other eternal rival Real Madrid 4-3 in El Clasico at the weekend.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 15 May 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 28 May. 2025.
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