inextricable

adjective

in·​ex·​tri·​ca·​ble ˌi-nik-ˈstri-kə-bəl  (ˌ)i-ˈnek-(ˌ)stri- 

1

: forming a maze or tangle from which it is impossible to get free

2

a

: incapable of being disentangled or untied

an inextricable knot

b

: not capable of being solved

inextricability

ˌi-nik-ˌstri-kə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

(ˌ)i-ˌnek-(ˌ)stri-

noun

inextricably

ˌi-nik-ˈstri-kə-blē 

(ˌ)i-ˈnek-(ˌ)stri-

adverb

Examples of inextricable in a Sentence

He argues that there is an inextricable link between poverty and poor health.

Recent Examples on the Web

The big picture: Huang sees the dawn of AI as a new industrial revolution, with inextricable links between energy use and human prosperity. —Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024

But Gen Alpha’s love of viral brands and collectible trinkets is inextricable from their digital-native status. —Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024

His characters are so recognizably, painfully millennial because their selfhood is so obviously mediated by the Internet; their instincts are inextricable from their upbringing in an online ecosystem that seizes every individual’s desires and vulnerabilities as fodder for profit and exploitation. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024

Almost immediately, the relationship became inextricable from their collaborative efforts as scholars and activists willing to forgo economic stability—and, sometimes, physical safety—in service of their political projects. —Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin inextricabilis, from in- + extricabilis extricable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inextricable

adjective

in·​ex·​tri·​ca·​ble ˌin-ik-ˈstrik-ə-bəl  (ˈ)in-ˈek-(ˌ)strik- 

: impossible to untangle or to get free from

an inextricable knot

inextricably

-blē 

adverb