inexorable

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adjective in·ex·o·ra·ble \ (ˌ)i-ˈneks-rə-bəl , -ˈnek-sə- , -ˈneg-zə-rə- \

Definition of inexorable

:not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped :relentless

inexorable progress

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inexorability

play \(ˌ)i-ˌneks-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē, -ˌnek-sə-, -ˌneg-zə-\ noun

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inexorableness

play \(ˌ)i-ˈneks-rə-bəl-nəs, -ˈnek-sə-, -ˈneg-zə-\ noun

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inexorably

play \(ˌ)i-ˈneks-rə-blē, -ˈnek-sə-, -ˈneg-zə-rə-\ adverb

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inexorable was our Word of the Day on 07/09/2009. Hear the podcast!

Examples of inexorable in a Sentence

the inexorable rise of a political movement

Recent Examples of inexorable from the Web

The gang’s horrific crime — and their subsequent inexorable decline, which feels as inevitable as a Greek tragedy — never feels silly or contrived but entirely plausible.

— anna silman, The Cut, "The Secret History Is Still the Book I Recommend to Everyone," 24 Aug. 2017
In chapter after chapter, the authors illustrate how the inexorable growth of the federal state is restricting our liberties, our economic opportunity and prosperity, and endangering our freedom.

— nr symposium, National Review, "It’s Summer, Time to Catch Up on Your Reading — A Symposium," 31 July 2017
Their youth serves as a constant reminder of the inexorable process of aging and our own ever-encroaching mortality.

— jack moore, GQ, "The Drive-By Dunk Challenge Is Proof Teens Are Good," 23 July 2017
The cynicism is bad enough, but the way that McConnell can do so much damage because of his supreme confidence in the inexorable logic of it is the truly depressing part.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Mitch McConnell Has Weaponized Cynicism. We'll All Pay the Price.," 17 July 2017
Kalanick promoted the impression that Uber’s current success and its world-dominating future derive from the inexorable advantages of technology.

— michael hiltzik, chicagotribune.com, "With Travis Kalanick out, we'll see the real value of Uber — and it won't be pretty," 21 June 2017
While there’s no denying the inexorable march of time (dimming eyes and creaky joints being my least favorite), attitude may prove to be the elusive Fountain of Youth.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "Old age, like beauty, is in the eye of beholder," 20 June 2017
Household deposits—long the backbone of China’s economy, funding inexorable loan growth—

— anjani trivedi, WSJ, "Chinese Banks Face Up to Funding Squeeze," 5 June 2017
Without distance, Rishi knew the inexorable love for his art, for creation, would suck him in and never let go.

— katie ward beim-esche, The Christian Science Monitor, "'When Dimple Met Rishi' is a zippy, charming update on arranged marriage," 5 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

The Latin antecedent of inexorable is inexorabilis, which is itself a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "not," plus exorabilis, meaning pliant or "capable of being moved by entreaty." It's a fitting etymology for inexorable. You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable. Inexorable has been a part of the English language since the 1500s. Originally, it was often applied to persons, or sometimes to personified things ("deaf and inexorable laws"). These days, it is usually applied to things, as in "inexorable monotony" or "an inexorable trend." In such cases, it essentially means "unyielding" or "inflexible."