Basic Details
Word: Inevitable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Certain to happen; impossible to avoid or prevent.
Synonyms: unavoidable, certain, inescapable, sure
Antonyms: avoidable, uncertain, unlikely
Word origin: Comes from Latin inevitabilis, from in-, not, and evitare, to avoid.
How to Spell Inevitable
Syllables: in - ev - i - ta - ble
Tricky part: After ev comes i, then table. Students write inevetable or end it in ible.
Watch out for: inevitible, inevetable, inevittable
Memory tip: The last five letters spell table. Whichever way you turn in the dining room, the table is always there, as certain as anything inevitable.
Usage Examples
Example 1: After three late nights, a sleepy Monday was inevitable.
Example 2: Some mistakes are inevitable when you learn to ride a cycle.
Example 3: Ageing is inevitable, but staying active helps.
Fun Fact
Evitable, meaning avoidable, is a real English word, but it is rare. Almost everyone uses only the negative form, inevitable.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
inev_t_ble
a) e, a
b) i, i
c) i, a
d) a, a
Show answer
c) i, a. After ev comes i, and the ending is table.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to inevitable as used in the sentence:
With the river rising so fast, flooding in the low-lying fields seemed inevitable.
a) avoidable
b) certain
c) inescapable
d) unavoidable
Show answer
a) avoidable. Inevitable means it cannot be stopped; avoidable means it can.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
A long delay was teaevilbni once the pilot announced thick fog over the runway.
a) invaluable
b) inviolable
c) invisible
d) inevitable
Show answer
d) inevitable. The jumble has two e's and a t; invisible, inviolable and invaluable have no t at all.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Pick the event that is inevitable.
a) Winning a lottery
b) Finding treasure in the garden
c) Snow in Chennai in May
d) The sun setting this evening
Show answer
d) The sun setting this evening
2. It was inevitable that the old bridge would collapse. So its collapse ____.
a) could not be avoided
b) surprised everyone
c) never happened
d) was prevented in time
Show answer
a) could not be avoided
