eternity

noun

eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nə-tē 

plural eternities

1

: the quality or state of being eternal

2

: infinite time

lasting throughout eternity

3

eternities plural : age sense 3b

4

: the state after death : immortality

5

: a seemingly endless or immeasurable time

an eternity of delays

Synonyms

• everlasting
• foreverness
• infinity
• perpetuity

Examples of eternity in a Sentence

They believed that sinners would spend eternity in hell.

We suffered through an eternity of delays during the lawsuit.

Recent Examples on the Web

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, there’s a single gameweek — not a double — on the cards in Fantasy Premier League. —Ben Dinnery, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025

After what felt like an eternity of sour, downtempo bedroom pop, the charts are finally bright again. —Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2025

The next few seconds stretched like an eternity as a translator related the exchange to the prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, in Japanese. —Shawn McCreesh, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025

During exhaustive arguments over jury instructions in early January, attorneys had spent what seemed like an eternity discussing whether one small phrase amid the 100-plus pages of instructions should be a single or double quote. —Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English eternite, from Middle French eternité, from Latin aeternitat-, aeternitas, from aeternus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for eternity

• fraternity
• maternity
• modernity
• paternity
• confraternity
• taciturnity

Kids Definition

eternity

noun

eter·​ni·​ty i-ˈtər-nət-ē 

plural eternities

1

: the quality or state of being eternal

2

: endless time

3

: the state after death : immortality

4

: time that seems to be endless