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Inevitable vs Irrevocable - What's the difference?

inevitable | irrevocable |

As adjectives the difference between inevitable and irrevocable

is that inevitable is impossible to avoid or prevent while irrevocable is unable to be retracted or reversed; final.

As a noun inevitable

is something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.

inevitable

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Impossible to avoid or prevent.
    • We were going so fast that the collision was inevitable .
  • Predictable, or always happening.
    • My outburst met with the inevitable punishment.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=Jonathan Wilson , title=Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Every break seemed dangerous and Falcao clearly had the beating of Amorebieta. Others, being forced to stretch a foot behind them to control Arda Turan's 34th-minute cross, might simply have lashed a shot on the turn; Falcao, though, twisted back on to his left foot, leaving Amorebieta in a heap, and thumped in an inevitable finish – his 12th goal in 15 European matches this season.}}
  • * 1912 ,
    • This horse and rider, with their free, rhythmical gallop, were the only moving things to be seen on the face of the flat country. They seemed, in the last sad light of evening, not to be there accidentally, but as an inevitable detail of the landscape.

    Usage notes

    Largely synonymous with unavoidable, slightly more formal (borrowed as a unit from Latin, rather than formed in English), and with nuances of a natural consequence'' that occurs ''after – “inevitable punishment”, “inevitable result”. By contrast, (term) has some nuance of existing circumstances – “I was unavoidably detained.” – without there necessarily being a cause. Further, unavoidable'' has nuances of “could not have happened any other way, even if circumstances were different”, while inevitable''' connotes “''given'' circumstances, this is the necessary result.” Compare “the disaster was '''inevitable ”, meaning “sooner or later the disaster would happen (because they ''did not prepare'')” with “the disaster was ''unavoidable''”, meaning “even if they ''had prepared , the disaster would have happened”. Often used with a negative connotation, but may be used with a positive or neutral sense of fate, as in “Given our preparations, our victory was inevitable .” in which case *unavoidable is not acceptable. In the same manner, impreventable and inevitable'' have different nuances. The sense “the disease was inevitable'''” means “It was ''natural'' to suffer the disease”; the sense “the disease was '''impreventable ” means “There was ''no preventive methods against the disease”. Thus, "inevitable''" indicates "unable to avoid due to ''natural or necessary''''' matters", "''unavoidable''" indicates "unable to avoid due to '''''incidental''''' matters", ''impreventable'' indicates "unable to avoid due to '''''the absence of preventive methods ".

    Synonyms

    * (impossible to avoid) inescapable, unavoidable, impreventable * (naturally impossible to avoid) natural, necessary * (always happening) certain, necessary

    Antonyms

    * (impossible to avoid) evitable, escapable, avoidable, preventable * (always happening) impossible, incidental

    Derived terms

    * inevitability * inevitably * inevitableness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2009, date=August 22, author=Murray Whyte, title=Seeking successors to the Queen West gallery scene, work=Toronto Star citation
    • , passage=In the migratory patterns of the city's art scenes, there are two inevitables : First, that neighbourhoods where art makes its home become instantly more attractive; and second, because of it, art won't be at home for long.}}

    Antonyms

    * evitable * impossible

    References

    * inevitable/unavoidable, WordReference.com

    External links

    * * * ----

    irrevocable

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Unable to be retracted or reversed; final.
  • * , As You Like It act 1, sc. 3:
    • Firm and irrevocable is my doom
    Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd.
  • * 1848 , , Dombey and Son , ch. 61:
    • On each face, wonder and fear were painted vividly; each so still and silent, looking at the other over the black gulf of the irrevocable past.
  • * 2005 April 28, , " Cycling: Cipo retires. Definitely. Absolutely. Yes. Probably," New York Times (retrieved 27 April 2014):
    • Once again, Mario Cipollini has announced his definite, absolute, unswerving and irrevocable decision to retire, and this time he means it. Probably.