indelible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​del·​i·​ble in-ˈde-lə-bəl 

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

indelibility

(ˌ)in-ˌde-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

indelibly

in-ˈde-lə-blē 

adverb

indelibility

2 of 2

noun

in·​del·​i·​bil·​i·​ty (ˌ)inˌdeləˈbilətē 

-ətē, 

-i

plural -es

: the quality or state of being indelible

Synonyms of indelible

Adjective

• memorable

Examples of indelible in a Sentence

Adjective

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

All wars change society and hence leave an indelible imprint on literary culture. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times Book Review, 15 Apr. 1984

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

winning the state basketball championship was our team's most indelible experience

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

To Hitchcock, the indelible feature of Roosevelt’s Presidency was his desire to protect democratic norms and processes amid crises, even as critics accused him of being a power-mad dictator or a Communist sympathizer. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

The backlash notwithstanding, the Creole language is an indelible part of the Dominican Republic, and has been maintained in the country by migrants for hundreds of years. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

The same could be contextualized in one of Parks’ most indelible portraits, of Black Panther Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and his wife, Kathleen, in Algiers, Algeria, in 1970. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Gerrit Graham, who left an indelible mark on cult cinema as glam rock shill Beef in Phantom of the Paradise, has died. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for indelible

• compellable

Kids Definition

indelible

adjective

in·​del·​i·​ble in-ˈdel-ə-bəl 

1

: impossible to erase, remove, or blot out

an indelible impression

2

: making or leaving marks not easily erased

an indelible pencil

indelible ink

indelibly

-blē 

adverb