inevitable
Meaning
certain to happen and impossible to avoid
always happening or continuing in a way that is annoying and cannot be avoided
Structure
Usage
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.
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
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")