Eternity refers to an infinite or unending period of time. It describes a state that has no beginning and no end, often associated with concepts of timelessness, immortality, or the afterlife. In philosophical or religious contexts, eternity might imply the existence of a realm beyond time, where past, present, and future are irrelevant.
The word "eternity" comes from the Latin "aeternitas," which is derived from "aeternus," meaning "everlasting" or "eternal." The roots of "aeternus" can be traced further back to the Proto-Indo-European root "*ai-" meaning "to be," which conveys the sense of timelessness and existence.