different between inevitable vs irrepressible

English

Etymology

From Middle French inevitable, from Latin in?v?t?bilis (“unavoidable”), from in- + ?v?t?bilis (“avoidable”), from ?v?t?re (“to avoid”), from ?- (“out”) + v?t?re (“to shun”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n??v?t?b?l/

Adjective

inevitable (not comparable)

1. Impossible to avoid or prevent.
2. Predictable, or always happening.
   • 1912, Willa Cather, The Bohemian Girl

     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, unavoidable 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 were 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; See also Thesaurus:inevitable
• (naturally impossible to avoid): natural, necessary
• (always happening): certain, necessary

Antonyms

• (impossible to avoid): evitable, escapable, avoidable, preventable; See also Thesaurus:avoidable
• (always happening): impossible, incidental; See also Thesaurus:circumstantial

Derived terms

• inevitability
• inevitably
• inevitableness

Translations

Noun

inevitable (plural inevitables)

1. Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.

Antonyms

• evitable
• impossible

References

• inevitable/unavoidable, WordReference.com

Further reading

• inevitable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• inevitable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• inevitable at OneLook Dictionary Search

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin in?v?t?bilis.

Adjective

inevitable (epicene, plural inevitables)

1. inevitable

Related terms

• evitar

Catalan

Etymology

in- +? evitable

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /i.n?.vi?ta.bl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /i.n?.bi?ta.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /i.ne.vi?ta.ble/
• Rhymes: -a?le

Adjective

inevitable (masculine and feminine plural inevitables)

1. inevitable

Derived terms

• inevitablement

Galician

Alternative forms

• inevitábel

Etymology

From Latin in?v?t?bilis.

Adjective

inevitable m or f (plural inevitables)

1. inevitable

Antonyms

• evitable

Derived terms

• inevitablemente

Middle French

Adjective

inevitable m or f (plural inevitables)

1. inevitable; unavoidable

Descendants

• French: inévitable

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin in?v?t?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inebi?table/, [i.ne.??i?t?a.??le]

Adjective

inevitable (plural inevitables)

1. inevitable, inescapable, unavoidable (unable to be avoided)

   Antonym: evitable

Derived terms

• inevitablemente

Related terms

• evitar

English

Etymology

ir- +? repressible

Adjective

irrepressible (not generally comparable, comparative more irrepressible, superlative most irrepressible)

1. Not containable or controllable.
   • 1858, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, ch. 15:

     [...] here the two friends burst into a variety of giggles, and glanced from time to time, over the tops of their pocket-handkerchiefs, at Nicholas, who from a state of unmixed astonishment, gradually fell into one of irrepressible laughter [...]

2. (of a person) Especially high-spirited, outspoken, or insistent.
   • 1875, Wilkie Collins, The Law and the Lady, ch. 3:

     The irrepressible landlady gave the freest expression to her feelings.

   • 1901, Frank Norris, The Octopus, Book II, Conclusion:

     "The irrepressible Yank is knocking at the doors of their temples and he will want to sell 'em carpet-sweepers for their harems."

   • 1963 July 12, "People," Time:

     It was Paris' irrepressible High Fashion Doyenne Gabrielle ("Coco") Chanel, 80, so-soing this and high-hatting that, while Women's Wear Daily took notes.

   • 2012 July 24, Mel Watkins, "Sherman Hemsley, ‘Jeffersons’ Star, Is Dead at 74," New York Times (retrieved 16 June 2013):

     High-strung and irrepressible, George Jefferson quickly became one of America’s most popular television characters, a high-energy, combative black man who backed down to no one.

Translations