Synonyms of eve
1
2
: the evening or the day before a special day
3
: the period immediately preceding
in the Bible : the first woman, the wife of Adam, and the mother of Cain and Abel

Examples of eve in a Sentence

Noun (1) from morn to eve the settlers toiled to eke a living from the harsh land
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Festival has brought in $10 million in donations that will go to nonprofit organizations benefitting women and girls, the musician announced on the eve of the festival. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 On the eve of the official opening, Rodrigo will appear in person at the museum, participating in a conversation with filmmaker Cameron Crowe and doing a live performance. Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 But on the eve of the release, the band’s lead singer, Andrew Wood, died of a heroin overdose. Spin Staff, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026 The reference to the Baur au Lac relates to the arrests that took place at the luxury hotel in Zurich on the eve of the 2015 FIFA Congress, where former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter was elected for a fifth term. Matt Slater, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eve

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English eve, even

Noun (2)

Old English Ēfe, from Late Latin Eva, from Hebrew Ḥawwāh

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eve was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eve. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
2
: the evening or the day before a special day
New Year's Eve
3
: the period just before an important event
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!