illimitable

American  

[ih-lim-i-tuh-buhl] / ɪˈlɪm ɪ tə bəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being limited; limitless; boundless.

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illimitable British  

/ ɪˈlɪmɪtəbəl /

adjective

1. limitless; boundless

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Other Word Forms

• illimitability noun
• illimitableness noun
• illimitably adverb

Etymology

Origin of illimitable

First recorded in 1590–1600; il- ² + limitable ( def. )

Explanation

Use illimitable to describe something that has no limits, like the universe, or your little brother's capacity for annoying you. Illimitable is a rare word — and a rather fancy one. It's more common to say something's limitless or measureless, but illimitable is good if you want to sound literary or formal, say if you're talking about the "illimitable power of human endeavor." If you use illimitable to describe something like your appetite for candy, it will sound kind of funny, which is perfectly fine as long as you're going for a laugh.

Example Sentences

And just beyond the Philippines are China’s illimitable markets.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

His narcissism, his megalomania, his delicate yet illimitable ego, would have it no other way.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2022

Inspired by St. Theresa of Ávila, Dorothea sought “some illimitable satisfaction” in the provincial world of 19th-century England; Mrs. Lee, too, is anxious to find unleavened goodness in the drawing rooms of Washington.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2018

In myth, the physical stuff in front of us is also a manifestation of something eternal, and our lives are seen in the context of some illimitable horizon.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2017

Beyond them was nothing but a huge illimitable dark.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman