Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Impossible to overcome or overthrow by force.
  • adjective Impossible to put aside or drive away.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not expugnable; that cannot be overcome by force, nor taken by assault; unconquerable; impregnable.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Incapable of being subdued by force; impregnable; unconquerable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Impossible to eliminate or destroy; impregnable

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective incapable of being overcome, challenged or refuted

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin inexpugnābilis : in-, not; see in– + expugnābilis, capable of being overcome (from expugnāre : ex-, completely; see ex– + pugnāre, to fight; see impugn).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

in- + expugn + -able

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Examples

  • 'Inertia' does not mean want of vigour, but may be metaphorically described as the inexpugnable resolve of everything to have its own way.

    Logic Deductive and Inductive Carveth Read 1889

  • Instinct never yet surrendered to arguments; it is their race-instinct, deep and strong and "inexpugnable," as Carlyle would say.

    Our Brother in Black: His Freedom and His Future Atticus Greene 1881

  • I mean the inexpugnable belief that every detailed occurence can be correlated with its antecedents in a perfectly definite manner, exemplifying general principles.

    David Heddle on the ID movement 2006

  • Therefore the mind which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more secure to which he can fly for, refuge and for the future be inexpugnable.

    The Meditations 2004

  • This Castle hath on the one side a drie ditch, on the other side the riuer Moscua, whereby it is made almost inexpugnable.

    The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

  • More saliently, however, this positioning of himself in such a way was, in part, because of a deep melancholy over all those who were gone from his life and regret for all the experiences that they had given him -- experiences that had accumulated and embedded carvings onto the walls of his brain until there were reliefs of inexpugnable, defunct memories, aggravating the past so that it was alive in him still.

    An Apostate: Nawin of Thais

  • Let us now but make them inexpugnable, and they will make themselves universal.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 11, No. 67, May, 1863 Various

  • Poictou subdued the strong fortresse of Tailbourg, which was iudged before that time, inexpugnable: but earle Richard oppressed them that kept it so sore with streight siege, that first in a desperate mood they issued foorth, and assailed his people verie valiantlie, but yet neuerthelesse they were beaten backe, and forced to retire into their fortresse, which finallie they surrendred into the hands of earle

    Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (5 of 12) Henrie the Second Raphael Holinshed

  • He even considered the possibility of converting his uncle, and spent the Sunday evening before term began in framing inexpugnable arguments to be preceded by unanswerable questions; but always when he was on the point of speaking he was deterred by the lifelessness of his uncle.

    The Altar Steps Compton MacKenzie 1927

  • | Page 71: inexpugnable replaced with inexpungable |

    Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays Bertrand Russell 1921

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