Eventually she told me the truth vs Ultimately

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Eventually she told me the truth

Top 2,000 (common)

Ultimately

Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
 Eventually she told me the truthUltimately
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //ɪˈvɛn.tʃu.əl.i//🇺🇸 //ɪˈvɛn.tʃu.ə.li//🇬🇧 /["/ˈʌltɪmətli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈʌltɪmətli/"]/
MeaningFinally, after some time, she shared what really happened.In the end; finally.
ExampleEventually, she told me the truth about what happened.A poor diet will **ultimately lead to** illness.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level-B2
Part of speechadverb
Collocationseventually arrived, eventually found out, eventually realized, eventually told, eventually succeededultimately responsible, ultimately decide, ultimately lead to
Antonyms-initially, first, at the beginning
Common mistakes'Eventually' is often confused with 'actually'; they have different meanings., Students may use 'eventually' incorrectly at the beginning of a sentence., Learners sometimes omit the event before 'eventually', creating confusion.'Ultimately' is often misused when the context is not about finality., Learners may confuse 'ultimately' with 'eventually' but they are not exactly the same., Overusing 'ultimately' in casual speech can sound pretentious.
Usage notesUse 'eventually' to indicate that something happened after a delay. It’s suitable for formal and informal contexts.Use 'ultimately' to emphasize the final outcome of a situation. It is not suitable for casual or informal conversations.

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Eventually she told me the truth

Frequently asked questions: Eventually she told me the truth vs Ultimately

What's the difference between Eventually she told me the truth and Ultimately?

Eventually she told me the truth: Finally, after some time, she shared what really happened. Ultimately: In the end; finally.

Can you show an example of each?

Eventually she told me the truth: Eventually, she told me the truth about what happened. Ultimately: A poor diet will **ultimately lead to** illness.

Can I use Eventually she told me the truth and Ultimately interchangeably?

Not always. Eventually she told me the truth and Ultimately are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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