inevitable
UK[ɪnˈevɪtəbl]US[ɪnˈevɪtəbl]
adj
certain to happen and impossible to avoid
adj
always happening or continuing in a way that is annoying and cannot be avoided
Morpheme Breakdown
in
evit
able
in
not
evit
avoid
able
capable of
Etymology
the word "inevitable" entered english in the early 15th century from middle french inevitable, which itself descended from latin inevitabilis, meaning "unavoidable." the latin term is a compound of the negative prefix in- ("not") and evitabilis ("avoidable"). evitabilis derives from the verb evitare, a variant of evitare ("to shun, avoid"), which is formed from e- ("out of") and vitare ("to avoid, shun"). the core semantic logic has remained remarkably consistent: that which is "not capable of being avoided" has been its meaning from its latin origins to its modern english usage, applying to outcomes, consequences, and often unwelcome certainties.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + evit (avoid) + able (capable of)
in- (latin, a prefix meaning "not"); evit (from latin evitare, a variant of evitare meaning "to avoid"); -able (latin/french/english, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "capable of, fit for")
Examples
given the heavy traffic, a delay was inevitable.
she accepted the inevitable with quiet resignation.
the inevitable result of the conflict was a breakdown in communication.