interminable

adjective

in·​ter·​mi·​na·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈtər-mə-nə-bəl How to pronounce interminable (audio)
-ˈtərm-nə-
: having or seeming to have no end
especially : wearisomely protracted
an interminable sermon
interminableness noun
interminably adverb

Did you know?

We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of interminable. The word was borrowed into English in the 15th century and descends from a Latin combination of the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." The word describes not only something without an actual end (or no end in sight, such as "interminable oceans"), but also events, such as tedious lectures, that drag on in such a way that they give no clear indication of ever wrapping up. Other relatives of interminable in English include terminate, determine, terminal, and exterminate.

Examples of interminable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The graveyard at Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, dotted with the green and gray of shrubs and tombs, has been expanded several times in recent months to accommodate the interminable flow of bodies. Abeer Salman, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 After what seem to be interminable discussions and meetings, my colleagues and I go out to lunch, this time to Berkeley Social Club. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 But Swift had recorded a gamma-ray bombardment lasting a relatively interminable 51 seconds — normally the signature of a very different type of cosmic drama. Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 This engrossing and disquieting memoir threads together the disruptions caused by the experimental socialism imposed on Venezuela by Hugo Chávez, who ruled the country from 1999 until his death in 2013, and the interminable tribulations of the author’s disintegrating Venezuelan family. Paula Ramón, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 We are meant to feel the interminable aspects of Mimosa's wild night out and empathize with her inability to escape this increasingly unhinged and dangerous world. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Sep. 2023 At just a hair over three hours, the ceremony was efficient on paper, but felt interminable in practice. Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Jan. 2024 In January, during the seemingly interminable rounds of votes for speaker that McCarthy ultimately won, Mace criticized Gaetz for fundraising off of the ordeal. Ella Sherman, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023 There is a certain appeal for that, especially for Americans accustomed to interminable, murky operations where military activities were ranging from trying to strengthen host nations to counterterrorism as well as more straightforward combat. David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interminable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin interminabilis, from Latin in- + terminare to terminate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interminable was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near interminable

Cite this Entry

“Interminable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interminable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

interminable

adjective
in·​ter·​mi·​na·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈtərm-(ə-)nə-bəl How to pronounce interminable (audio)
: having or seeming to have no end
especially : tiresomely long
interminableness noun
interminably adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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