Definition of inviolable
1 : secure from violation or profanation an inviolable law
2 : secure from assault or trespass : unassailable inviolable borders
Explore Merriam-Webster
inviolable was our Word of the Day on 11/17/2015. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of inviolable in a Sentence
a person with inviolable moral standards
an inviolable trust between lawyer and client
Recent Examples of inviolable from the Web
-
But the one inviolable rule is that they are not allowed to proselytize.
-
Although the embassy itself is inviolable (though not sovereign territory), getting to that embassy requires permission from the United States.
-
The latter had had a heart made of polished ice, which, inviolable and immovable, had long ago absorbed what warmth could be found in Bella’s blood.
-
The high-speed rail project is perhaps the most notorious state example of an infrastructure project that is violating some supposedly inviolable promises supporters made to voters in the 2008 election that secured initial funding for the project.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inviolable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its opposite, "violable" ("capable of being or likely to be violated") appeared a century later. The English playwright Shackerley Marmion made good use of "violable" in A Fine Companion in 1633, writing, "Alas, my heart is Tender and violable with the least weapon Sorrow can dart at me." But English speakers have never warmed up to that word the way we have to "inviolable," and it continues to be used much less frequently. Both terms descend from Latin violare, which both shares the meaning and is an ancestor of the English word violate.
Origin and Etymology of inviolable
Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin inviolabilis, from in- + violare to violate
INVIOLABLE Defined for English Language Learners
inviolable
playDefinition of inviolable for English Language Learners
-
: too important to be ignored or treated with disrespect
INVIOLABLE Defined for Kids
inviolable
playDefinition of inviolable for Students
1 : too sacred to be broken or denied an inviolable oath
2 : impossible to harm or destroy by violence an inviolable fortress
Learn More about inviolable
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inviolable Spanish Central: Translation of inviolable Nglish: Translation of inviolable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inviolable for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up inviolable? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!