eternal

== English == === Alternative forms === æternal (chiefly archaic) æternall, eternall (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English eternal, from Old French eternal, from Late Latin aeternālis, from Latin aeternus (“eternal”), from aevum (“age”). Displaced native Old English ēċe. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪˈtɜː.nl̩/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɪˈtɝ.nl̩/, /iˈtɝ.nl̩/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl Hyphenation: e‧ter‧nal === Adjective === eternal (comparative more eternal, superlative most eternal) Lasting forever; unending. Synonyms: agelong, endless, everlasting, permanent, sempiternal, unending; see also Thesaurus:eternal Antonyms: ephemeral, momentary, transient; see also Thesaurus:ephemeral (philosophy) Existing outside time; as opposed to sempiternal, existing within time but everlastingly. Synonyms: timeless, atemporal; see also Thesaurus:timeless (hyperbolic) Constant; perpetual; ceaseless; ever-present. (dated) Exceedingly great or bad; used as an intensifier. Synonym: awful ==== Usage notes ==== May be used postpositively, as in peace eternal, possibly as a result of Latin influence. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === eternal (plural eternals) One who lives forever; an immortal. === References === === Anagrams === enteral, teneral == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin aeternālis. First attested in the 14th century. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ə.tərˈnal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [e.teɾˈnal] === Adjective === eternal m or f (masculine and feminine plural eternals) eternal Synonym: etern === References === === Further reading === “eternal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “eternal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. “eternal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962. == Galician == === Etymology === From Latin aeternālis. === Adjective === eternal m or f (plural eternais) (formal) eternal Synonym: eterno === Further reading === “eternal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == Middle English == === Alternative forms === eterneel, eternall === Etymology === Borrowed from Middle French eternal, eternel and its etymon Latin aeternālis; equivalent to eterne +‎ -al. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌɛːtɛrˈnal/, (by analogy with eternite) /ɛˈtɛrnal/, /ɛː-/ (from Latin aeternālis) IPA(key): /ˌɛːtɛrˈnɛːl/, (by analogy with eternite) /ɛˈtɛrnɛl/, /ɛː-/ (from Old French eternel) === Adjective === eternal Eternal, permanent; having existed (and existing) forever. Endless, unending; lasting forever. (rare) Long-lasting; non-ephemeral. ==== Synonyms ==== eterne ==== Descendants ==== English: eternal, tarnal Scots: eternal ==== References ==== “ēternā̆l, -ē̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 19 January 2019. == Occitan == === Etymology === From Latin aeternālis. === Pronunciation === === Adjective === eternal m (feminine singular eternala, masculine plural eternals, feminine plural eternalas) eternal Synonym: etèrn == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin aeternālis. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: e‧ter‧nal === Adjective === eternal m or f (plural eternais, not comparable) eternal Synonym: eterno === Further reading === “eternal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “eternal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === From Latin aeternālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /eteɾˈnal/ [e.t̪eɾˈnal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: e‧ter‧nal === Adjective === eternal m or f (masculine and feminine plural eternales) eternal Synonym: eterno === Further reading === “eternal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025