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

But both candidates might have been overshadowed by a fly that perched on Mr. Pence’s hair for what felt like an eternity. —Will Weissert, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Sep. 2024

But both candidates might have been overshadowed by a fly that perched on Pence’s hair for what felt like an eternity. —Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 29 Sep. 2024

The style is available for 15 different teams and features an eternity band of crystals and gold hardware. —Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024

And in addition to her boho chic white dress, HRH Catherine, the Princess of Wales, appears to be wearing a sparkly, somewhat new eternity band. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024

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

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