eventuality

English

Etymology

Calque of French éventualité, eventual +‎ -ity

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˌvɛntjuˈælɪti/, /ɪˌvɛnt͡ʃuˈælɪti/
• Rhymes: -ælɪti

Noun

eventuality (countable and uncountable, plural eventualities)

1. A possible event; something that may happen. [from 19th c.]

   Synonyms: contingency, possibility

   Coordinate terms: eventualization, realization, reality

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Ilos:

     Vigil: You are not Prothean. But you are not machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons.

   • 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     England could have met world and European champions Spain but that eventuality was avoided by Sweden's 2-0 win against France, and Rooney's first goal in a major tournament since scoring twice in the 4-2 victory over Croatia in Lisbon at Euro 2004.

2. (obsolete, phrenology) An individual's propensity to take notice of events, changes, or facts. [from 19th c.]

Related terms

• eventualize

Translations

possible event — see also contingency

• French: éventualité (fr)
• German: Eventualität (de) f
• Hungarian: eshetőség (hu)
• Italian: eventualità (it) f
• Plautdietsch: Mäajlichkjeit f
• Romanian: eventualitate (ro) f
• Spanish: eventualidad (es) f
• Swedish: eventualitet (sv) c