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eventual

eh-ben-too-ahl/ebenˈtual/

“eventual” means “temporary” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

temporary, occasional

Also: casual, sporadic
Adjectivem or fB1
A worker wearing a bright orange vest and a hard hat, holding a clipboard and standing in front of a half-finished wooden structure.

📝 In Action

Ella tiene un contrato eventual en la oficina.

A2

She has a temporary contract at the office.

Solo hacemos visitas eventuales a ese pueblo.

B1

We only make occasional visits to that town.

Es un trabajador eventual, no tiene un puesto fijo.

B1

He is a temporary worker; he doesn't have a permanent position.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • contrato eventual – temporary contract
  • trabajador eventual – casual/temporary worker

possible, contingent

Also: potential
Adjectivem or fC1formal
A person standing at a fork in a forest path, looking at two different trails leading into the trees.

📝 In Action

Debemos prepararnos para un eventual retraso del vuelo.

B2

We must prepare for a possible flight delay.

El plan cubre cualquier eventual pérdida de datos.

C1

The plan covers any potential loss of data.

Estamos listos para una eventual emergencia.

B2

We are ready for a possible emergency.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ante una eventual... – in the event of a possible...
  • riesgo eventual – potential risk

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: eventual

Question 1 of 3

If you have an 'empleo eventual', what does that mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
eventualmente(occasionally/possibly) — Adverb
eventualidad(unforeseen event/contingency) — Noun
evento(event) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'eventualis', coming from 'eventus', which means 'happening' or 'outcome'. It shares a root with the English word 'event'.

First recorded: 18th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: éventuelPortuguese: eventual

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'eventualmente' mean 'eventually'?

No! This is a very common mistake. 'Eventualmente' means 'occasionally' or 'possibly'. If you want to say 'eventually' (meaning 'in the end'), use 'al final' or 'con el tiempo'.

Is 'eventual' a common word?

Yes, but mostly in business, news, and formal speech. You'll see it a lot in job advertisements or insurance papers.

What is the difference between 'temporal' and 'eventual'?

They are very similar. 'Temporal' strictly refers to time (not permanent). 'Eventual' can also mean 'possible' or 'subject to chance'.