English
eternity
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ɪˈtɜː.nə.ti/
  • (America) enPR: ĭ-tûrʹnĭ-tē, IPA: /ɪˈtɝnɪti/
Noun

eternity

  1. (uncountable) Existence without end, infinite time.
    • 1829, John Wesley, Sermon LVIII: On the Eternity of God, in Sermons on Several Occasions, Volume 2, 10th edition, [http://books.google.com/books?id=YkAtAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=%22eternity%22+-intitle:%22eternity%22&hl=en&ei=kAAITv7KI4bXmAWCn43BDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22eternity%22%20-intitle%3A%22eternity%22&f=false page 1],
      Eternity has generally been considered as divisible into two parts; which have been termed, eternity a parte ante, and eternity a parte post: that is, in plain English, that eternity which is past, and that eternity which is to come.
  2. (uncountable, philosophy) Existence outside of time.
    • 1879, Erastus Snow, Rest Signifies Change, etc., published in 1881, Brigham Young (editor) Journal of Discourses, Volume 21,
      We sometimes speak of eternity in contradistinction to time; and often say, "through time and into eternity;" and again "from eternity to eternity," which is simply another form of expressing the same idea, and "pass through time into eternity." in other words, time is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state—and we use the word time in contradistinction to the word eternity, merely for the accommodation of man in his finite sphere, that we may comprehend and learn to measure periods.
  3. (countable) A period of time which extends infinitely far into the future.
  4. (metaphysical) The remainder of time that elapses after death.
  5. (informal, hyperbole) A comparatively long time.
    It's been an eternity since we last saw each other.
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