indelible

in·del·i·ble

adjective \in-ˈde-lə-bəl\

Definition of INDELIBLE

1

a : that cannot be removed, washed away, or erased

b : making marks that cannot easily be removed <an indelible pencil>

2

a : lasting <indelible memories>

b : unforgettable, memorable <an indelible performance>

— in·del·i·bil·i·ty \(ˌ)in-ˌde-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— in·del·i·bly \in-ˈde-lə-blē\ adverb

Examples of INDELIBLE

1. <winning the state basketball championship was our team's most indelible experience>
2. But the most indelible evening of the rebellion for me was the night I had first got beaten. —Amiri Baraka, The Autobiography of Leroi Jones, 1984
3. All wars change society and hence leave an indelible imprint on literary culture. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times Book Review, 15 Apr. 1984
4. The illustrator of children's books surpasses other artists in the impressionability of his audience; it is beyond calculation, no doubt, what touches will produce an indelible effect, when the receiving surface of a child's psyche is so soft and mysteriously laden and momentous with its own raw energy. —John Updike, New York Times Book Review, 4 Dec. 1983

Origin of INDELIBLE

Middle English indelyble, from Medieval Latin indelibilis, alteration of Latin indelebilis, from in- + delēre to delete

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to INDELIBLE

Synonyms

unforgettable, memorable

Antonyms

forgettable

Related Words

notable, noteworthy, remarkable

Near Antonyms

unremarkable

Rhymes with INDELIBLE

compellable, expellable