What does immortality mean?
Immortality is the condition of living forever, or of existing beyond death. In religious and mythological contexts, it may describe a deity, a saint, or a person granted eternal life by a supernatural power. The term also has an important figurative use: a person can achieve a kind of immortality through lasting achievements, influential work, or a reputation that survives across generations. Its use in ordinary conversation is often hyperbolic, suggesting that something will remain important or useful indefinitely. The word combines the Latin prefix in-, meaning “not,” with mortal, which comes from a Latin word associated with death and the human condition. As a result, immortality carries both literal and symbolic associations with permanence, transcendence, and the conquest of mortality.
nounThe condition of being immortal, especially the endless existence of a person or being after death. It can also refer figuratively to lasting fame, influence, or reputation.
- The state of living forever or existing without death.
- Enduring fame, influence, or reputation that lasts beyond a person's lifetime.
"The ancient heroes were granted immortality in the myths, and their names have endured for centuries."
"In Greek mythology, the gods possess immortality, while humans are subject to death."
"Her invention seemed to promise immortality, making her name endure long after her death."
Usually used for beings believed to live forever, especially gods or supernatural figures.
"The novel portrays the immortals as a separate society hidden beyond the mortal world."
Many cultures have imagined immortality differently, but the idea of living forever has inspired legends, medicine, and myth for thousands of years.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does immortality come from?
Immortality was formed in English from the Latin adjective immortalis, meaning “not mortal” or “not subject to death,” together with the noun-forming suffix -itas, which forms abstract terms such as quality and quantity. Latin itself had a related noun, immortalitas, meaning “immortality,” and the English word reflects the Latin tradition in which the gods and certain heroic figures are exempt from death. Modern cognates and related forms include immortal and immortalize, all sharing the Latin root associated with mortality and death.
Related word forms
How immortality is actually used
The word is often used in mythology, religion, philosophy, and figurative language. In modern contexts, it may be hyperbolic, as in a claim that a discovery has achieved immortality.
Easily confused with immortality
Immortality means living forever, whereas immorality refers to behaviour that is considered morally wrong.