eternity

noun

eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nə-tē 

plural eternities

1

: the quality or state of being eternal

2

: infinite time

lasting throughout eternity

3

eternities plural : age sense 3b

4

: the state after death : immortality

5

: a seemingly endless or immeasurable time

an eternity of delays

Synonyms

• perpetuity
• infinity
• foreverness

Examples of eternity in a Sentence

They believed that sinners would spend eternity in hell.

We suffered through an eternity of delays during the lawsuit.

Recent Examples on the Web

And then later that month in Estonia, NATO says three Russian MiG-31 jets flew over NATO territory for 12 minutes, an eternity for fighter aircraft, before being intercepted by NATO aircraft stationed nearby. —Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025

Sixteen years passed — an eternity by rap’s standards — as Pusha T became a successful solo artist and label executive while Malice took a hiatus from rapping to pursue his faith. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025

Yet the two men became intertwined for eternity in 1992. —Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

Crucial federal races are 13 months away, an eternity in politics. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English eternite, from Middle French eternité, from Latin aeternitat-, aeternitas, from aeternus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for eternity

• fraternity
• maternity
• modernity
• paternity
• confraternity
• taciturnity

Kids Definition

eternity

noun

eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nət-ē 

plural eternities

1

: the quality or state of being eternal

2

: endless time

3

: the state after death : immortality

4

: time that seems to be endless