adjective / noun

inevitable

in-EV-ih-tuh-bul/ɪnˈevɪtəbl/

Certain to happen and impossible to avoid.

The falling egg faces inevitable impact with the hard floor.

An intact raw egg has fallen clear of a countertop and is suspended just above a hard tiled floor: with nothing beneath it to catch or cushion it, impact and breakage are imminent and unavoidable.

Etymology

inLatinnot

+eLatinout

+vitLatinshun, avoid

+ableLatincapable of being

“Out” and “shun” formed a verb originally meaning “go out of the way.” With the negative prefix and capability ending, inevitable describes something one cannot get out of the way of or avoid.

In context

TED-Ed2:39

Choking may not be inevitable for everyone though. Research suggests that some are more susceptible than others

How to stay calm under pressure - Noa Kageyama and Pen-Pen Chen

More examples

They accepted the inevitable.
The ending felt inevitable after the first chapter.
Change was inevitable once the old system failed.

Forms

inevitable

inevitably adverb — unavoidably

Similar words

unavoidable: Impossible to prevent or escape.
certain: Sure to happen without necessarily emphasizing lack of choice.