Word of the Day

: November 18, 2010

eventuate

verb ih-VEN-chuh-wayt

What It Means

: to come out finally : result, come about

eventuate in Context

No one could have prepared for the chaos that eventuated when the truth finally came to light.

"The incident … occurred at a time of growing concern about the role of Internet chat rooms and other forums in giving a platform to disturbed young people with resentments that eventuate in attacks on schools and other targets." -- From an article by John F. Burns in The New York Times, March 21, 2009

Did You Know?

"Eventuate" started life as an Americanism in the late 18th century, and was stigmatized in the 19th century. A British commentator called it "another horrible word, which is fast getting into our language through the provincial press." Other British grammarians, and even some Americans, agreed that it was horrible. A few modern critics still consider "eventuate" to be pompous and unnecessary, but it is less controversial these days. In any case, "eventuate" has a perfectly respectable history. It is derived from the Latin noun "eventus" ("event"), which in turn traces to the verb "evenire," meaning "to happen."