eternity

noun

eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nə-tē How to pronounce eternity (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To complete the sequence, Gray returned to his love and lightly touched hands before drinking a potion to join him in eternity. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 And our hands are up, because goals from goalkeepers only materialise once in an eternity. Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025 This is especially important in video content creation, where the production cycle can last for months, as well as for the technology industry, where that cycle can seem like an eternity. Anatolii Kasianov, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025 Long-time spots thanked their customers and strode into the sunset with more than a little pride, knowing that 10 years or more is an eternity in restaurant terms. Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eternity

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eternity was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eternity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eternity. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

eternity

noun
eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nət-ē How to pronounce eternity (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on eternity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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