• 2-minute read
• 13th May 2013

Word Choice: Eventually vs. Ultimately

It is easy to misuse words if they look or sound similar. But you can also confuse words when they have subtle differences in meaning. For an example of this, we can look at ‘eventually’ and ‘ultimately’.

These words do not look or sound the same. However, many people use them interchangeably without really knowing the difference. Such ‘loose’ use may be fine when speaking with friends, but in academic writing precision is essential.

To help you avoid errors of this kind, in this blog post we explain the difference between ‘eventually’ and ‘ultimately’.

Eventually (After a Pause)

‘Eventually’ refers to a point in time after a pause or delay. This can be a known point after a delay has already occurred, such as in:

We had to wait for hours, but the bus turned up eventually.

Alternatively, it can be an anticipated point in the future. For example, if I do not know exactly when the bus will arrive, I might say:

The bus is not on time, but it will arrive eventually.

Ultimately (In the End)

‘Ultimately’ means ‘in the end’. This might seem similar to ‘eventually’, but ‘ultimately’ has a more specific meaning. For instance, we might say:

Ultimately, everyone will die.

In this case, ‘eventually’ would mean essentially the same thing (i.e. after however long it takes to reach the end). But ‘ultimately’ specifically refers to the end point of a life, not simply an undetermined amount of time.

However, there is another use of ‘ultimately’ that isn’t interchangeable with ‘eventually’. This is to mean ‘at the most basic level’:

Ultimately, running a marathon is about physical fitness.

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