Eternally

Eternally is an adverb that denotes lasting for an infinite duration or existing outside time. In common usage, it can describe actual infinite duration in philosophical or theological contexts, or serve as an intensifier in everyday language. The form is derived from the adjective eternal, which traces to Latin aeternus meaning lasting forever, through Old French eternel and Middle English eternel/eternally, with the adverbial suffix -ly.

In usage, eternally can describe the duration of events, states, or memories, often in a figurative sense. For example, "We will be eternally grateful" expresses a lasting, unending sense of gratitude, rather than literal immortality. The phrase "for all eternity" similarly conveys an indefinite, perpetual span. In religious or metaphysical discourse, eternally frequently appears in discussions of the afterlife or divine immutability, as in "God is eternally existent." In secular writing, it is common in poetry and rhetorical prose to convey permanence, or a hyperbolic emphasis of emotion.

Grammatically, eternally is an adverb formed from the adjective eternal plus the adverbial suffix -ly. It typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, but can appear in idiomatic expressions rather than as a precise temporal claim. The word carries strong emotive weight and is often used more as a literary or emphatic device than as a literal descriptor.