inexorable

adjective

in·​ex·​o·​ra·​ble (ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-bəl 

-ˈneks-rə-,

-ˈneg-zə-rə- 

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

inexorable progress

inexorability

(ˌ)i-ˌnek-sə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌneks-rə-

-ˌneg-zə-

noun

inexorableness

(ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-bəl-nəs 

-ˈneks-rə-

-ˈneg-zə-

noun

inexorably

(ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-blē 

-ˈneks-rə-

-ˈneg-zə-rə-

adverb

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 people or sometimes to personified things, as in "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."

Examples of inexorable in a Sentence

the inexorable rise of a political movement

Recent Examples on the Web

With companies going where liquidity is abundant, a steady drip of firms being taken private, and too few initial public offerings coming along to replace them, pressure is mounting to reverse the slow but inexorable shrinking of London’s historic trading venue. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 July 2025

The annual Ten Thousand Commandments report has, since 1993, tracked the inexorable accumulation of federal regulation. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Can their experience and inexorable march to ‘smarter’ ways be replicated elsewhere? —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

What drives me is to see that this great company continues its inexorable march to becoming the greatest company in the world. —Pete Born, Footwear News, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin inexorabilis, from in- + exorabilis pliant, from exorare to prevail upon, from ex- + orare to speak — more at oration

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

inexorable

adjective

in·​ex·​o·​ra·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈeks-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: relentless

inexorability

(ˌ)in-ˌeks-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inexorableness

(ˈ)in-ˈeks-(ə-)rə-bəl-nəs 

noun

inexorably

-blē 

adverb