eternity

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noun eter·ni·ty \ i-ˈtər-nə-tē \

Definition of eternity

plural eternities

1 :the quality or state of being eternal

2 :infinite time

lasting throughout eternity

3 eternities plural :age 3b

4 :the state after death :immortality

5 :a seemingly endless or immeasurable time

an eternity of delays

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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 of eternity from the Web

Four-star defensive back Josh Jobe: Jobe, a Miami (Fla.) prospect, has been verbally committed to his hometown Hurricanes since 2015, a virtual eternity in the recruiting world.

— steve lorenz, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football recruiting: Top-5 targets for 2018 class," 23 Aug. 2017
And that lively head of hair will remain mussable for eternity.

— kevin riordan, Philly.com, "Guilty plea deal in little Brendan Creato's death doesn't seem like justice," 23 Aug. 2017
That was two years ago, though, which is an eternity in the world of tech.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "The LG V30 rumor roundup: OLED, f1.6 camera, fancy “HD” haptics," 14 Aug. 2017
Online, milliseconds matter – hundreds of seconds are effectively an eternity.

— nirmala shenoy, Scientific American, "Creating a High-Speed Internet Lane for Emergency Situations," 2 Aug. 2017
But every child is a universe of possibility that reaches into eternity, connecting our memories and our hopes in a sign of God’s love across the generations.

— kathryn jean lopez, National Review, "Quitting ‘Angry and Dumb’," 31 July 2017
Earth is a temporary residence, the book says, but eternity lives in your heart.

— c jackson cowart, charlotteobserver, "With nothing guaranteed, undrafted Panthers rookie Austin Duke works toward a dream," 15 July 2017
What is unclear is whether an eternity would be long enough for the GOP to get its act together.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "McConnell Scrubs Half the Senate’s August Recess As GOP Scrambles to Save Its Agenda," 11 July 2017
To have an impact in the film industry, leaving a piece of me behind in a movie that is going to echo into eternity.

— chrissy rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "Matthew Noszka is Leading Man Ready," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eternity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of eternity

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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eternity Synonyms

Synonyms

everlasting, foreverness, infinity, perpetuity

Related Words

boundlessness, endlessness, interminableness, limitlessness, permanence, permanency, timelessness

Near Antonyms

ephemerality, impermanence, temporariness, transience, transitoriness

ETERNITY Defined for English Language Learners

eternity

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noun

Definition of eternity for English Language Learners

: time without an end
: a state that comes after death and never ends
: time that seems to be without an end

ETERNITY Defined for Kids

eternity

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noun eter·ni·ty \ i-ˈtər-nə-tē \

Definition of eternity for Students

plural eternities

1 :time without end

2 :the state after death

3 :a period of time that seems endless

I waited an eternity.

Learn More about eternity

See words that rhyme with eternity Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for eternity Spanish Central: Translation of eternity Nglish: Translation of eternity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of eternity for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eternity

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eternity

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Examples of eternity in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of eternity

eternity Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

ETERNITY Defined for English Language Learners

eternity

Definition of eternity for English Language Learners

ETERNITY Defined for Kids

eternity

Definition of eternity for Students

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