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Definition of inevitable adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

inevitable

adjective
 
 
/ɪnˈevɪtəbl/
 
/ɪnˈevɪtəbl/
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  1.  
    that you cannot avoid or prevent synonym unavoidable
    • It was an inevitable consequence of the decision.
    • it is inevitable that It was inevitable that there would be job losses.
    • A rise in interest rates seems inevitable.
    Extra Examples
    • The scandal made her resignation inevitable.
    • They came to see defeat as inevitable.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • appear
    • be
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • almost
    • virtually
    • apparently
    • …
    phrases
    • bow to the inevitable
    See full entry
  2. [only before noun] (often humorous) happening so often that you always expect it
    • the English and their inevitable cups of tea
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • appear
    • be
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • almost
    • virtually
    • apparently
    • …
    phrases
    • bow to the inevitable
    See full entry
  3. the inevitable
     noun [singular] something that is certain to happen
    • You have to accept the inevitable.
    • The inevitable happened—I forgot my passport.
    Topics Doubt, guessing and certaintyb2
    4. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin inevitabilis, from in- ‘not’ + evitabilis ‘avoidable’ (from evitare ‘avoid’).
See inevitable in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee inevitable in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: inevitable

Nearby words

perspective
noun
 
 
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