Definition of INDOMITABLE

Other Words from indomitable

indomitability \ (ˌ)in-ˌdä-mə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

indomitableness \ in-ˈdä-mə-tə-bəl-nəs

\ noun

indomitably \ in-ˈdä-mə-tə-blē

\ adverb

Your Knowledge of Indomitable Can Not Be Tamed

The prefix in- means "not in numerous English words (think of "indecent," "indecisive," "inconvenient," and "infallible"). When "in-" teamed up with the Latin domitare ("to tame"), the result was a word meaning "unable to be tamed." "Indomitable" was first used in English in the 1600s as a synonym of "wild," but over time its sense of untamability turned from a problem to a virtue. By the 1800s, "indomitable" was being used for people whose courage and persistence helped them to succeed in difficult situations.

Examples of indomitable in a Sentence

an indomitable spirit was needed to endure the rigors of pioneer life

Recent Examples on the Web

Part of the appeal of Veronica's character was always her indomitable courage and moxie in the face of horrible circumstances. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "No marshmallows here: Veronica Mars season 4 pulls no punches," 31 July 2019 Still, new entrants have encroached on Apple’s once-indomitable position, attracting new users by offering exclusive access to original podcasts. — Mark Gurman, Fortune, "Apple Is Ready to Invest in Its Own Original Podcasts," 16 July 2019 Like her indomitable Mother Vicy, Blanche was gifted, courageous, strong, good-humored, fun-loving, kind to deserving souls, and a fierce defender of children, the weak, the elderly and all of those in need of protection. — orlandosentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 7/20," 20 July 2019 Kudos to the indomitable Hannah for seeing through the emotional abuse and dysfunction. — Karen Pallarito, Health.com, "Luke P. Sex-Shaming 'Bachelorette' Hannah B. Isn't Just Wrong, It's The Perfect Example Of Gaslighting," 16 July 2019 The indomitable Brazilians elevated football to a true art form. — SI.com, "Mario Zagallo: Habitual World Cup Winner & Sculptor of Brazil's Joga Bonito Era," 15 July 2019 Uruguay, with its elite strike force and its gnarled, indomitable defense, was always likely to expose Russia’s limitations. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Finally, a Loss for Russia. But Only on the Field.," 25 June 2018 More than a year after the onset of an economic calamity that has shaken the once-indomitable hold of Turkey’s strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, this nation of 80 million people remains stuck in uncomfortable proximity to crisis. — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "Turkey’s Long, Painful Economic Crisis Grinds On," 8 July 2019 Another year, another training camp, another NFL season for the indomitable Frank Gore. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Ageless Frank Gore bound for Buffalo and 15th NFL season, but intends to retire a 49er," 8 July 2019

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