adamantine

play

adjective ad·a·man·tine \ ˌa-də-ˈman-ˌtēn , -ˌtīn , -ˈman-tᵊn \

Definition of adamantine

1 :made of or having the quality of adamant

2 :rigidly firm :unyielding

adamantine discipline

3 :resembling the diamond in hardness or luster

See adamantine defined for kids

adamantine was our Word of the Day on 12/08/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of adamantine in a Sentence

the adamantine opposition of his parents to his marriage to a girl from a poor family

Recent Examples of adamantine from the Web

Harrison’s music traverses a huge stylistic range, from adamantine dissonance to melodies of homespun sweetness.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "New York Celebrates a Composer Who Left Town," 14 Apr. 2017

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

Did You Know?

The Greek and Latin word for the hardest imaginable substance, whether applied to a legendary stone or an actual substance, such as diamond, was "adamas." Latin poets used the term figuratively for things lasting, firm, or unbending, and the adjective "adamantinus" was used in similar contexts. The English noun "adamant" (meaning "an unbreakable or extremely hard substance"), as well as the adjective "adamant" (meaning "inflexible" or "unyielding"), came from "adamas." "Adamantine," which has such figurative uses as "rigid," "firm," and "unyielding," came from "adamantinus." "Adamas" is actually the source of "diamond" as well. "Diamas," the Latin term for diamond, was an alteration of "adamas."