Eventual means happening at the end of a long process, or certain to happen but only after time passes. When scientists work toward an eventual cure for a disease, they know it will take years of research, testing, and refinement. When a chess player sees her eventual victory, she recognizes that winning is certain even though several more moves remain.

The word suggests patience and perspective. A gardener planting apple seeds understands that the eventual harvest won't come for years. A student struggling with fractions today might not see how they lead to the eventual mastery of algebra, but each small step builds toward that goal.

Notice that eventual doesn't mean “possible” or “hoped for.” It means something will happen in the end, just not immediately. The eventual outcome is the final result after everything plays out. When you hear that someone became the eventual winner of a competition, it means others may have led at first, but this person won in the end.

Related word: eventually means “at some point in the future,” as in “If you keep practicing piano, you will eventually be able to play that difficult piece.”