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What is the difference between sempiternal and eternal?

sempiternal | eternal |

Eternal is a synonym of sempiternal.

Eternal is a antonym of sempiternal.



In philosophy terms the difference between sempiternal and eternal

is that sempiternal is everlasting, that is having infinite temporal duration; as opposed to eternal, outside time and thus lacking temporal duration while eternal is existing outside time; as opposed to sempiternal, existing within time but everlastingly.

As adjectives the difference between sempiternal and eternal

is that sempiternal is seemingly everlasting or eternal while eternal is lasting forever; unending.

sempiternal

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Seemingly everlasting or eternal.
  • * 1841 , ",
    • The one thing which we seek with insatiable desire is to lose our sempiternal memory and to do something without knowing how or why; in short to draw a new circle.
  • * 2008 , Shivangi Singh, " A sneak-peek at 'just friends' of filmdom!", ZeeNews , August 2,
    • but in filmdom, the sempiternal question continues: Can a male and female actor be just 'good friends'?
  • (philosophy) everlasting, that is having infinite temporal duration; as opposed to eternal, outside time and thus lacking temporal duration

    • Related terms

    * sempitern * sempiternally * sempiternity

    Antonyms

    * eternal

    Anagrams

    * * English words suffixed with -al

    eternal

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (chiefly archaic) * (obsolete) * eternall (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Lasting forever; unending.
  • * John Locke
    • to know whether there were any real being, whose duration has been eternal
  • * Dryden
    • Fires eternal in thy temple shine.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=In a bid to understand the eternal mystery that is woman, Bart goes to the least qualified possible source for advice and counsel: his father, who remarkably seems to have made it to his mid-30s without quite figuring out much of anything. }}
  • (philosophy) existing outside time; as opposed to sempiternal, existing within time but everlastingly
  • (dated) Exceedingly great or bad; used as an intensifier.
    • some eternal villain

    Synonyms

    * permanent, sempiternal, endless, everlasting * (existing outside time) timeless, atemporal

    Antonyms

    * ephemeral * sempiternal

    Derived terms

    * eternal life * eternal recurrence * eternal return * eternal triangle * hope springs eternal

    Anagrams

    * English words suffixed with -al ----