eternel

Éternel is a French adjective meaning lasting forever or timeless; in English, it is rendered as eternal or everlasting. It is commonly used to describe things perceived as having no end, such as nature, memory, or ideals, and it often carries a sense of grandeur or ultimate permanence. In religious contexts, the term takes on a more specific connotation when referring to the divine.

The standard modern spelling is éternel, with an acute accent on the first e. The feminine form is éternelle, and the plural forms are éternels (masculine) and éternelles (feminine). The noun form for the concept of timeless duration is éternité, and the proper noun L'Éternel is used in some French translations of religious texts to denote God.

Etymologically, éternel derives from Latin aeternus, passing through Old French into Middle French and evolving into the contemporary form. The accentuation reflects the historical pronunciation and orthographic conventions of French.

In usage, éternel can describe a quality attributed to things, ideas, or experiences that seem perpetual or unchanging, as in phrases highlighting the idea of an everlasting truth or a perpetual cycle. It is also employed in literary and philosophical discourse, for example in discussions of eternity or the notion of the é treneloing return (éternel retour) in philosophy and poetry. The term can function both attributively and predicatively, and its precise nuance depends on context and tone.