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In inimical, one finds both a friend and an enemy. The word descends from Latin inimicus, which combines amicus, meaning "friend," with the negative prefix in-, meaning "not." In current English, inimical rarely describes a person, however. Instead, it is generally used to describe forces, concepts, or situations that are in some way harmful or hostile. For example, high inflation may be called "inimical" to economic growth. Inimicus is also an ancestor of enemy, whereas amicus gave English the much more congenial amicable (meaning "friendly" or "peaceful") and amiable (meaning "agreeable" or "friendly").

Examples of inimical in a Sentence

received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms

Recent Examples on the Web Omarova noted that Congress constantly outlaws some banking activities that could theoretically be described as legitimate business dealings, such as money laundering and terrorist financing, to be socially inimical and thus, yes, sub-optimal. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2021 Such a culture is inimical to satisfying the needs of digital business and its customers. — Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 The idea of military glory was inimical to his and Jeanne-Claude’s conception of art, to their sense of freedom and beauty and their longing for a shared humanity. — Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2021 Academic life is inimical to the Taliban’s ideology, Mashal says. — Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, 20 Aug. 2021 The trope tends to elegize artists who are perceived to be ahead of their time or otherwise inimical to regnant conventions. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 19 July 2021 This is inimical to the development of a team mindset. — Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 18 May 2021 And Roenne’s daughter believes deliberate deception to be inimical to her father’s moral code. — Sigrid Macrae, Harper's Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021 In other words, repealing the estate tax would be a massive handout to rich families, enabling them to concentrate their wealth to an extent the Founding Fathers found inimical to society. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2021

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