Basic Details
Word: Eternal
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Lasting for ever, with no end. People also use it for something that seems never to stop, like an eternal argument between two cousins.
Synonyms: everlasting, endless, permanent, undying
Antonyms: temporary, brief, short-lived
Word origin: Comes from Latin aeternus, 'lasting for an age'.
How to Spell Eternal
Syllables: e - ter - nal
Tricky part: The ending is nal, not nel or nul. Students also write iternal because the first e sounds short and unclear.
Watch out for: eternel, eturnal, iternal
Memory tip: Eternal ends exactly like journal and signal: n-a-l. Picture a journal that never runs out of pages - an eternal journal.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Many old tales speak of a spring that gives eternal youth.
Example 2: Grandpa jokes that finding his spectacles is his eternal problem.
Example 3: The poet wrote of the eternal snows on the Himalayan peaks.
Fun Fact
Rome has been nicknamed the Eternal City for over two thousand years; Roman poets such as Tibullus already used the phrase.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word eternal as used in the sentence:
The ancient kings believed that their fame would be eternal.
a) everlasting
b) temporary
c) undying
d) timeless
Show answer
b) temporary. Something temporary lasts only a short while, but eternal things never end.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
etternal
a) t
b) e
c) n
d) r
Show answer
a) t. The t after the first e is single: e-ter-nal.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. ancient 2. eternel 3. sacred 4. temporary
a) lasting for ever, without any end
b) lasting only for a short time
c) connected with God or religion and deeply respected
d) belonging to the very distant past
Show answer
a) lasting for ever, without any end. Eternel should end in nal; ancient, sacred and temporary are all fine.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The lamp in the old temple is kept burning day and night as a sign of artneel faith.
a) eternal
b) external
c) internal
d) alternate
Show answer
a) eternal. External needs an x and internal an i, so only eternal uses these seven letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these could be called eternal in a fairy tale?
a) a two-hour match
b) a one-day fair
c) a well that never runs dry
d) a lunch eaten at noon
Show answer
c) a well that never runs dry
2. Mother's eternal reminders to drink water are reminders that ____.
a) are whispered softly
b) are written on paper
c) never seem to stop
d) were given only once
Show answer
c) never seem to stop
