eternity

noun eter·ni·ty \ i-ˈtər-nə-tē \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Examples: eternity in a Sentence

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

See eternity defined for English-language learners

See eternity defined for kids

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

The flowers appear brushed by the gentlest breeze, the sweetness of a fleeting moment captured for eternity.

— tamar adler, Vogue, "What Statement Should Your Wedding Cake Make?," 17 May 2018
Downtown Louisville and Jeffersonville will be like parking lots from 9:45 p.m. to eternity.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "What to bring - and what you should leave at home - for the best Thunder Over Louisville," 18 Apr. 2018
Eight months is an eternity in politics, especially in this tumultuous era when each day feels like a week.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Pennsylvania special election shows GOP still hasn’t found a winning midterms message," 14 Mar. 2018
Stranger Things 2, which will finally arrive after what feels like an eternity in the Upside Down.

— alison caporimo, Seventeen, "Here’s What’s Coming to/Leaving Netflix in May 2018," 17 May 2018
Sans no competition from another tentpole, Avengers: Infinity War has topped the box office for three consecutive weekends, a veritable eternity in summer, when Hollywood tentpoles generally open one on top of another.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "Weekend Box Office: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Devours 'Life of the Party,' 'Breaking In' With $62M," 13 May 2018
But logging and calculating and trying to hit specific numbers day in and and day out for eternity is too rigid of an existence.

— casey johnston, SELF, "Ask a Swole Woman: Do I Have to Track Calories to Maintain My Weight?," 11 May 2018
The factory needed seven hours to produce a battery pack, a relative eternity in an auto industry that needs to keep assembly lines humming or risk burning enormous amounts of cash.

— john d. stoll, WSJ, "Tesla’s Factory in a Fishbowl," 7 May 2018
The Lizard Lounge? Impyrean?) and others, like the rock-steady Cameo, continue to pack them for eternity.

— rene rodriguez, miamiherald, "Think South Beach is crazy now? Here's what the club scene was like in 1994 | Miami Herald," 5 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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eternity Synonyms

ETERNITY Defined for English Language Learners

eternity

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

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

Definition of eternity

Examples of eternity in a Sentence

Recent Examples of eternity from the Web

Origin and Etymology of eternity

eternity Synonyms

Synonyms

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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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