inviolable

adjective

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

1

: secure from violation or profanation

an inviolable law

2

: secure from assault or trespass : unassailable

inviolable borders

inviolability

(ˌ)in-ˌvī-ə-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

inviolableness

(ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl-nəs 

noun

inviolably

(ˌ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-blē 

adverb

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 in the following century. The 17th century English playwright Shackerley Marmion made good use of violable in A Fine Companion, 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 the Latin verb violare, which both shares the meaning with, and is an ancestor of, the English word violate.

Synonyms

• hallowed
• holy
• sacred
• sacrosanct
• unassailable
• untouchable

Examples of inviolable in a Sentence

a person with inviolable moral standards

an inviolable trust between lawyer and client

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump’s legacy thus depends on cementing any peace deal by making its lines inviolable. —Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 8 July 2024

Today, in the wake of Russia’s aggression, China’s belligerence and the growing cooperation between the world’s revanchist regimes, the time has come to strengthen NATO with new members, inviolable spending commitments and consequences for failing to meet them. —Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 8 July 2024

Or that art may be the last untrodden and inviolable way of the psyche remaining to us? —John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024

Further, in recent weeks, many universities have demonstrated that norms are not an inviolable constraint on their actions, dispensing with preexisting practices regarding student speech and protest — or even rewriting official rules — so as to discipline Pro-Palestinian advocacy. —Eric Levitz, Vox, 15 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin inviolabilis, from in- + violare to violate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

inviolable

adjective

in·​vi·​o·​la·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-bəl 

1

: too sacred to be violated

an inviolable oath

2

: incapable of being harmed or destroyed by violence

an inviolable fortress

inviolability

(ˌ)in-ˌvī-ə-lə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inviolably

(ˈ)in-ˈvī-ə-lə-blē 

adverb