inextricable
Americanadjective
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from which one cannot extricate oneself.
an inextricable maze.
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incapable of being disentangled, undone, loosed, or solved.
an inextricable knot.
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hopelessly intricate, involved, or perplexing.
inextricable confusion.
adjective
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not able to be escaped from
an inextricable dilemma
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not able to be disentangled, etc
an inextricable knot
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extremely involved or intricate
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inextricable
First recorded in 1375–1425; a late Middle English word, from the Latin word inextrīcābilis; see in- 3, extricable
Explanation
A chain that is very badly knotted and cannot be unraveled is inextricable. You cannot disentangle it. Inextricable comes from the Latin prefix in- meaning "not" and extricare meaning "unravel." Something that is inextricable cannot be unraveled. This isn't just limited to objects. Memories from childhood can sometimes be inextricable from other associations — so bound up that it is hard to separate one from the other.
Vocabulary lists containing inextricable
Grade 12, List 6
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"A Rose for Emily"
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Ender's Game
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inextricable from the case are debates about consent, fame, race and expectations placed on assault victims.
From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2017
Inextricable confusion reigns in the classification, affinities, and naming of Runts.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Vol. I. by Darwin, Charles
Inextricable lands! the clutched together! the passionate ones!
From Poems By Walt Whitman by Rossetti, William Michael
Inextricable they must be now; for where, now, was the inspiration that before was to animate him to such great exploits?
From Henrietta Temple A Love Story by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield
She is a queen more wonderful Than any who have bloomed on Orient thrones: Sab�an Empress! in her breast, though small, Beauty and infinite sweetness sweetly dwell, Inextricable.
From International Weekly Miscellany — Volume 1, No. 3, July 15, 1850 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
