ə̇ˈtərnəd.ē, ēˈt-, -nətē, -i noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English eternite, from Middle French eternité, from Latin aeternitas, from aeternus eternal + -itas -ity
1. : the quality or state of being eternal : eternal existence
God enjoys himself only by contemplation of his goodness, eternity , infiniteness and power — Izaak Walton
2. : a totality of infinite time:
a. : a totality of infinite past and future time
b. : a totality of infinite past time
c. : a totality of infinite future time
3. eternities plural : ages
to unfold through the ages, yea, through the eternities — E.H.Sears
4. : the condition that begins at death : immortality
all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity — Shakespeare
5.
a. : something that transcends time or involves or includes timeless reality
b. : absolute timelessness
6. : an indefinite, immeasurable, or seemingly endless period of time
it seemed an eternity , not a few hours ago, when her mother had sat there reading — Ellen Glasgow
7. eternities plural : the eternal truths or realities
if a man cannot get some glimpse into the eternities — Thomas Carlyle