- 1a thing that happens, especially something important The election was the main event of 2008. In the light of later events the decision was proved right. The decisions we make now may influence the course of events (= the way things happen) in the future. He found that the report he had written had been overtaken by events (= it was no longer relevant). Everyone was shocked by the strange sequence of events. The police have reconstructed the chain of events leading to the murder. In the normal course of events (= if things had happened as expected) she would have gone with him. an unfortunate series of events
- 2a planned public or social occasion a fund-raising event the social event of the year
- 3one of the races or competitions in a sports program The 800 meters is the fourth event of the afternoon. see field event, track event Idioms
to understand something, or realize what you should have done, only after something has happened
the birth of a baby
used to emphasize or show that something is true or will happen in spite of other circumstances synonym in any case I think she'll agree to do it, but in any event, all she can say is “no.”
if something happens In the event of an accident, call this number. Sheila will inherit everything in the event of his death.
if that happens In that event, we will have to reconsider our offer.
Check pronunciation: event