inimitable
adjective
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How Should You Use inimitable?
Something that is inimitable is, literally, not able to be imitated. In actual usage the word describes things so uniquely extraordinary as to not be copied or equaled, which is why you often hear it used to praise outstanding talents or performances (or uniquely talented and incomparable individuals). (The less common antonym imitable describes things that are common or ordinary and could easily be replicated.) Inimitable comes, via Middle English, from the Latin adjective inimitabilis. Be careful not to confuse it with inimical or inimicable, two adjectives meaning “hostile” or “harmful”; those words come from a different Latin root.
Synonyms of inimitable
Examples of inimitable in a Sentence
Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s something inimitable about succeeding in Vancouver, too.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
This is where the Greenpoint comes from, an excellent neo-classic riff on a Manhattan that was invented at Milk & Honey in New York, and comprises the classic build of Manhattan—rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters—into which has been spliced the inimitable French herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2026
While all is still—and cloaked in sub-zero temperatures—at The Surf Lodge on Montauk’s Fort Pond, the inimitable Hamptons hotspot wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to ring in the New Year in style.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Inimitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inimitable. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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inimitable
adjective
