impregnable

adjective

im·​preg·​na·​ble im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl How to pronounce impregnable (audio)
1
: incapable of being taken by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
2
: unassailable
also : impenetrable
impregnable walls
impregnability noun
impregnableness noun
impregnably adverb

Did you know?

Impregnable is one of the many English words that bear a French ancestry, thanks to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. It derives from the Middle French verb prendre, which means "to take or capture." Combining prendre with various prefixes has given our language many other words, too, including surprise, reprise, and enterprise. Remarkably, impregnable has a different origin from the similar-looking word pregnant; that word comes from a different Latin word, praegnas, meaning "carrying a fetus."

Examples of impregnable in a Sentence

an impregnable fortress that had foiled one invader after another over the centuries the castle's supposedly impregnable walls
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of the grandest occasions in golf was in 1930, when the great Bobby Jones won the British Amateur at St. Andrews and then captured the claret jug at Royal Liverpool on his way to winning the Grand Slam of that era — the impregnable quadrilateral, as it was called. Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2025 The film starts on the morning of February 17 2003, when detectives from Antwerp’s infamous ‘Diamond Squad’ were called to investigate the night-time robbery of an allegedly impregnable vault in the middle of the Belgian city, which is nicknamed the City of Diamonds. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 July 2025 Needless to say, Superman regains his identity in time for a final assault on a supposedly impregnable computer designed by Pryor and manned by Vaughn and his formidable sister (Annie Ross), and hidden away somewhere in the Grand Canyon. Arthur Knight, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025 As a result, homeowners and developers are reconsidering their approach to luxury living, emphasizing fire-resistant materials, impregnable landscaping, and cutting-edge smart-home technologies. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for impregnable

Word History

Etymology

Middle English imprenable, from Middle French, from in- + prenable vulnerable to capture, from prendre to take — more at prize

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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Cite this Entry

“Impregnable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impregnable. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

impregnable

adjective
im·​preg·​na·​ble im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl How to pronounce impregnable (audio)
: not able to be captured by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
impregnably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impregnable

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