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

Viertel, by contrast, kept on plugging away, then spun her experiences into an irresistible testament to her indomitable will to prevail. — Terry Teachout, WSJ, "The Émigré Who Knew Everyone," 16 Jan. 2019 Juventus have become an indomitable force in Serie A, having now won the Scudetto in the past seven seasons consecutively. — SI.com, "Cristiano Ronaldo Is What Juventus Needs to Finally Win Champions League," 4 July 2018 Thanks to our indomitable host Brad Rickman, and to senior aviation correspondent Barbara Peterson and editors Mark Ellwood and Katherine LaGrave for the lively discussion. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to Survive a Summer of Crazy-Busy Air Travel: Travelogue Podcast," 1 June 2018 Not for a handful of idealistic and indomitable teens. — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "The girls who took over a town in rural India," 15 Apr. 2018 This ensured not only exclusive interviews with the singer's relatives, including her indomitable mother Cissy and her two brothers, but also use of the entire range of Houston's music. — Kenneth Turan, latimes.com, "Review: The expert 'Whitney' sheds new light on Whitney Houston's triumphant and tragic life," 5 July 2018 Paramore Saturday, July 7, at Starlight Theatre The two disparate versions of the band Paramore are linked by the indomitable talent of Hayley Williams. — Bill Brownlee, kansascity, "KC concerts July 5-11: Warped Tour, Joan Jett, Paramore, Xscape, STS9, Neko Case," 3 July 2018 Barbara was an indomitable woman, laboring tirelessly to make sure none of her children ever felt neglected despite their parents’ modest income. — Aaron Gell, Longreads, "Did Brian Easley Have to Die?," 9 Apr. 2018 The indomitable leader of the only defense at the World Cup to keep three clean sheets . — Steve Douglas, chicagotribune.com, "AP salutes stars of World Cup group stage, minus Messi," 29 June 2018

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.