inviolable

play

adjective in·vi·o·la·ble \ (ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl \

Definition of inviolable

1 :secure from violation or profanation

an inviolable law

2 :secure from assault or trespass :unassailable

inviolable borders

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inviolability

play \(ˌ)in-ˌvī-ə-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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inviolableness

play \(ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl-nəs\ noun

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inviolably

play \(ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-blē\ adverb

See inviolable defined for English-language learners

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inviolable was our Word of the Day on 11/17/2015. Hear the podcast!

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.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "In paradox, North Korea Christian school serves the elite," 30 May 2017
Although the embassy itself is inviolable (though not sovereign territory), getting to that embassy requires permission from the United States.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "How the U.S. can hold Erdogan’s brawling guards accountable — and keep it from happening again," 17 May 2017
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.

— andy borowitz, The New Yorker, "A Small Flame," 8 May 2017
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.

— steven greenhut, Orange County Register, "ARTIC’s fiscal tundra is preview of other boondoggles," 23 Apr. 2017

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.