impregnable
adjective
im·preg·na·ble
im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl 
1
: incapable of being taken by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
2
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
Superstar Harmanpreet Kaur's unbelievable 171 not out that destroyed an impregnable Australia in a remarkable semi-final upset was seen as a turning point.
—
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
But their defenses are not impregnable.
—David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
From Sandro Tonali to Dan Burn and Dubravka, this current side have been borderline impregnable over the past month.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
For more than half a century, the Assad dynasty appeared to have an impregnable hold over Syria.
—Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impregnable
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Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
But their defenses are not impregnable.
—David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
From Sandro Tonali to Dan Burn and Dubravka, this current side have been borderline impregnable over the past month.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
For more than half a century, the Assad dynasty appeared to have an impregnable hold over Syria.
—Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impregnable
Cite this Entry
“Impregnable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impregnable. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impregnable
adjective
im·preg·na·ble
im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl
: not able to be captured by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
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