inimitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inimitable
From the Latin word inimitābilis, dating back to 1525–35. See in- 3, imitable
Explanation
Use the adjective inimitable to describe someone or something that is so special or unique, it is impossible to duplicate, like that superstar tennis player with the inimitable serve no other player can copy. To correctly pronounce inimitable, accent the second syllable: "ih-NIH-muh-tuh-bul" Inimitable comes from imitabilis, meaning “imitable,” or “that which can be imitated.” Comedians, for example, find the way certain celebrities talk to be quite imitable. But add the prefix in-, meaning “not,” and you get “not imitated.” Use this word to describe things that are truly one-of-a-kind and just can't be copied.
Vocabulary lists containing inimitable
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Power Suffix: -able
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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.
Inimitable voices might stay with us for a time, but it’s the vessels, the deliverers, who might ensure their immortality.
From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024
Inimitable singer-songwriter, activist and Grammy-Award winner Judy Collins recently joined "Everything Fab Four" host Kenneth Womack to talk about her decades-long career, and how the Beatles' music changed its course.
From Salon • Oct. 26, 2020
At that point the author of post-war bestseller The Inimitable Jeeves was riding high on Broadway.
From The Guardian • Jan. 7, 2013
Extravagant Pleasures Shortly after Mark Antony’s arrival, he and Cleopatra formed a club called “The Order of the Inimitable Life.”
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
They had a sort of company, to which they gave a particular name, calling it that of the "Inimitable Livers."
From The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch being parts of the "Lives" of Plutarch, edited for boys and girls by White, John S. (John Stuart)
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.
