Synonyms of eve
1
2
: the evening or the day before a special day
3
: the period immediately preceding
in the Bible : the first woman, the wife of Adam, and the mother of Cain and Abel

Examples of eve in a Sentence

Noun (1) from morn to eve the settlers toiled to eke a living from the harsh land
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
In the celebrated 2017 novel Pachinko, Min Jin Lee’s multigenerational saga about a Korean family who emigrate to imperial Japan, a pastor meets with a young couple, the Baeks, on the eve of their departure. — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026 On the eve of a milestone album, country music legend Randy Travis will be honored by his native Union County on Saturday at the music festival named in his honor. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 19 Sep. 2026 On the eve of the election, many theaters pulled the newsreels — but by then the message was out. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 Related Stories The announcement was made on the eve of the Warsaw International Film Festival where the film bows in competition. — Annika Pham, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eve

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English eve, even

Noun (2)

Old English Ēfe, from Late Latin Eva, from Hebrew Ḥawwāh

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eve was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eve. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
2
: the evening or the day before a special day
New Year's Eve
3
: the period just before an important event
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