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Inevitability just sounds so depressing to me. The "inevitability of death" is a glaring example.

There has to be a word that means "unavoidable but in a good way" right?

Edit: The sentence I'm trying to make right now is about "the [inevitability] of technological progress in our society". Technological progress at least in what I'm arguing for is good so I'm looking for a word that would be a positive replacement for [inevitability].

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  • Can you name a good thing you would use this word for?
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Dec 31, 2015 at 11:04
  • @AndrewLeach - er, Puberty? ;)
    – BiscuitBoy
    Dec 31, 2015 at 11:19
  • The sentence I'm trying to make right now is about the [inevitability] of technological progress in our society. Technological progress at least in what I'm arguing for is good.
    – Larry the Cable Guy
    Dec 31, 2015 at 11:29
  • Inescapability may fit, but it is not really more "positive" than inevitability.
    – Graffito
    Dec 31, 2015 at 12:37
  • As answers here and here indicate, words are neither positive nor negative, only context is. It is winter now, but spring will inevitably arrive. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love (Mother Teresa).
    – cobaltduck
    Jan 4, 2016 at 20:08

7 Answers 7

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The certain triumph of good over evil. [certainty]

The adjective ("unavoidable but in a good [or at least not necessarily bad] way") probably works better than the noun here.

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  • 1
    In that case 'There has to be a word that means "unavoidable but in a good way" right?' is highly misleading. / I said that the adjective works better here. I'm reasonably sure I could rephrase to include 'certain' if you gave the full sentence. // Ah. '... the sure and steady progress of technology'
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Dec 31, 2015 at 11:31
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Luke, it is your

destiny

  1. something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.

  2. the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

  3. the power or agency that determines the course of events.

  4. (initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess.

  5. the Destinies, the Fates.

reference.com

"the destiny of technological progress in our society"

It can be used negatively but at least it sounds fancy as it takes your free will. Always emotion is the future.

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  • I wouldn't use 'destiny' the way you have in that example, because "the destiny of X" almost always means "that which is destined to happen to X", not "the condition of X itself being destined to happen". I think the most direct substitute for 'inevitability' would be 'predestination', although I would just phrase the whole thing differently.
    – bobtato
    Jan 4, 2016 at 19:58
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Perhaps guarantee is the word you are searching for:-

  1. To make certain [American Heritage Dictionary]

So you would say, the guarantee of technical progress in our society.

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You could consider using necessity which means:

The state of being unavoidable: the necessity of growing old

Your example:

The necessity of technological progress in our society...

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The unquestionable progress in technology...

Unquestionable, 1. indubitable or indisputable (TFD)

alternatively…

The expected developments in technology and science…

expected: To consider likely or certain

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You could use 'inexorability'. It's almost a direct synonym for 'inevitability' but has more triumphal connotations.

I think this is one of those cases where language itself sheds light on the thing being talked about. Perhaps the reason 'inevitability' fits so well is that there are indeed people who'd like to avoid technological progress?

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When I told my phone to define "Inevitability," it said it is defined as "the quality of being certain to happen."

So why not use, "Certainty"? Undeniability would also work.

Also check out: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/inevitability

Here's one section from the website you might like:

"Main Entry: certainty

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: positive assurance

Synonyms: all sewn up, authoritativeness, belief, certitude, cinch, confidence, conviction, credence, definiteness, dogmatism, faith, firmness, indubitableness, inevitability, lock*, lockup, open and shut case, positiveness, positivism, rain or shine, setup, shoo-in, staunchness, steadiness, stock, store, sure bet, sure thing, surefire, sureness, surety, trust, validity, wrap-up"

Hope this helps you.

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