Something that might happen in the future; a possible outcome or result of events.
From 'eventual' (from Latin 'eventus,' meaning outcome), combining the root with '-ality' (a suffix creating abstract nouns). The word emerged in the 17th century to describe possible future outcomes.
Lawyers and planners love the word 'eventuality' because it sounds formal and comprehensive—'we must prepare for every eventuality' sounds more professional than 'we don't know what might happen.' The word masks uncertainty with bureaucratic language, making unknowable futures sound manageable and planned-for.
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