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INVIOLABLE

adjective
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in· vi· o· la· ble | \ (ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl How to pronounce inviolable (audio) \


DEFINITION OF INVIOLABLE



1 : secure from violation or profanation an inviolable law
2 : secure from assault or trespass : unassailable inviolable borders
Other Words from inviolable Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn
More About inviolable



OTHER WORDS FROM INVIOLABLE

inviolability \ (ˌ)in- ˌvī- ə- lə- ˈbi- lə- tē How to pronounce inviolable
(audio) \ noun
inviolableness \ (ˌ)in- ˈvī- ə- lə- bəl- nəs How to pronounce inviolable (audio)
\ noun
inviolably \ (ˌ)in- ˈvī- ə- lə- blē How to pronounce inviolable (audio) \ adverb


SYNONYMS FOR INVIOLABLE

Synonyms

 * hallowed,
   
 * holy,
   
 * sacred,
   
 * sacrosanct,
   
 * unassailable,
   
 * untouchable
   
   

Visit the Thesaurus for More 


DID YOU KNOW?

Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its
opposite, "violable" ("capable of being or likely to be violated") appeared a
century later. The English playwright Shackerley Marmion made good use of
"violable" in A Fine Companion in 1633, writing, "Alas, my heart is Tender and
violable with the least weapon Sorrow can dart at me." But English speakers have
never warmed up to that word the way we have to "inviolable," and it continues
to be used much less frequently. Both terms descend from Latin violare, which
both shares the meaning and is an ancestor of the English word violate.


EXAMPLES OF INVIOLABLE IN A SENTENCE

a person with inviolable moral standards an inviolable trust between lawyer and
client

Recent Examples on the Web This is the promise of crypto games, which would
transform virtual objects into unique cryptocurrency tokens for users to keep in
their digital wallets and possibly trade or move to other platforms as their
inviolable properties. — Boaz Sobrado, Wired, 19 Dec. 2021 But each represents a
normative judgment that the Senate’s supermajority voting rules are the default
position, not an inviolable requirement, and that some circumstances warrant
deviating from that default. — Kate Shaw, Time, 5 Nov. 2021
By contrast, Coltrane appeared hesitant to toy with A Love Supreme, as though
his offering to God should remain intact, an inviolable record of his epiphany,
if not a holy object in its own right. — Adam Shatz, The New York Review of
Books, 7 Oct. 2021 The right to vote is a sacred, inviolable right of American
citizens. — Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2021 The right to vote
is a sacred, inviolable right of American citizens. — Clara Hendrickson, Detroit
Free Press, 5 Aug. 2021 The right to vote is a sacred, inviolable right of
American citizens. — Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2021 The
right to vote is a sacred, inviolable right of American citizens. — Clara
Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2021 The right to vote is a sacred,
inviolable right of American citizens. — Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press,
5 Aug. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news
sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inviolable.' Views expressed in
the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.

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FIRST KNOWN USE OF INVIOLABLE

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1


HISTORY AND ETYMOLOGY FOR INVIOLABLE

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin
inviolabilis, from in- + violare to violate




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THE FIRST KNOWN USE OF INVIOLABLE WAS IN THE 15TH CENTURY

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
inviolable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 17, 2015 is:

inviolable • \in-VYE-uh-luh-bul\  • adjective
1 : secure from violation or profanation 2 : secure from assault or trespass :
unassailable

Examples:
The senator agreed to an interview on the basis of a set of clear and inviolable
rules about what she would and would not answer. "Perhaps M Train represents the
attempt by someone whose career is as public as can be imagined to stake out a
zone of inviolable privacy, albeit through the public act of writing a book
meant for publication." — Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 22
Oct. 2015

Did you know?
Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its
opposite, violable ("capable of being or likely to be violated") appeared a
century later. The English playwright Shackerley Marmion made good use of
violable in A Fine Companion in 1633, writing, "Alas, my heart is Tender and
violable with the least weapon Sorrow can dart at me." But English speakers have
never warmed up to that word the way we have to inviolable, and it continues to
be used much less frequently. Both terms descend from Latin violare, which both
shares the meaning and is an ancestor of the English word violate.

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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

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The words that defined the week of August 3rd, 2018

Trending: Inviolable


TRENDING: INVIOLABLE

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DICTIONARY ENTRIES NEAR INVIOLABLE

in vino veritas

inviolable

inviolacy

See More Nearby Entries 


STATISTICS FOR INVIOLABLE

Last Updated

24 Dec 2021

Look-up Popularity

Top 3% of words

Cite this Entry

“Inviolable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inviolable. Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster




More Definitions for inviolable



inviolable

adjective
How to pronounce inviolable (audio)


ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS DEFINITION OF INVIOLABLE



: too important to be ignored or treated with disrespect

See the full definition for inviolable in the English Language Learners
Dictionary



inviolable

adjective
in· vi· o· la· ble | \ in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl How to pronounce inviolable (audio) \


KIDS DEFINITION OF INVIOLABLE



1 : too sacred to be broken or denied an inviolable oath
2 : impossible to harm or destroy by violence an inviolable fortress


More from Merriam-Webster on inviolable

Nglish: Translation of inviolable for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of inviolable for Arabic Speakers

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