incontestable

American  

[in-kuhn-tes-tuh-buhl] / ˌɪn kənˈtɛs tə bəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being contested; not open to dispute; incontrovertible.

   incontestable proof.

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incontestable British  

/ ˌɪnkənˈtɛstəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being contested or disputed

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Other Word Forms

• incontestability noun
• incontestableness noun
• incontestably adverb

Etymology

Origin of incontestable

First recorded in 1665–75; in- ³ + contestable ( def. )

Explanation

Something incontestable can't be argued with — it's absolutely true or right. It's an incontestable fact that the earth rotates around the sun. You can't dispute something that's truly incontestable, because it's absolutely clear and unmistakably true. The witness to a car accident could say that it's the incontestable fault of the driver who ran a red light. And once you've signed all the necessary forms and been handed the keys, you're the incontestable owner of your new car. Incontestable adds the "not" prefix, in-, to contestable, "opposable," or "arguable."

Example Sentences

That there was complacency and lack of focus in the bureaucracy is incontestable.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

“He just had that spirit of being here before and knowing a lot and an incontestable, delusional positivity about everything. I just think that was his gift.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024

San Francisco “has held these registrations for such a long time that they have become incontestable under federal law,” Chiu wrote in a letter to various Oakland officials.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

But investing their faith in justice has provided hope for those left behind of establishing an incontestable truth - to dispel all the misinformation surrounding the missile attack on the plane.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2022

Standing there he realized, all at once, that he had acquired an overt, incontestable fear directed toward the principal android.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick