unalienable

adjective

un·​alien·​able ˌən-ˈāl-yə-nə-bəl 

-ˈā-lē-ə-

: impossible to take away or give up : inalienable

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

—United States Declaration of Independence

… it's hard to say whether the partisan noise could influence an election, or whether it's New York simply exercising its unalienable right to be New York.

—Audra D. S. Burch

Examples of unalienable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Either everyone has unalienable rights or no one does. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025

Specifically, the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states that we are endowed with unalienable rights. —Moti Mizrahi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025

In exercising the power, Rubio has fully embraced the idea that visas are a privilege that can be rescinded based on behavior — and are not an unalienable right. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025

The promise is that all people are created equal and have certain unalienable rights. —Karen Ebel, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unalienable

adjective

un·​alien·​able ˌən-ˈāl-yə-nə-bəl 

-ˈā-lē-ə-nə-

: inalienable

Legal Definition

unalienable

adjective

un·​alien·​able ˌən-ˈāl-yə-nə-bəl, -ˈā-lē-ə- 

: not alienable : inalienable