incorrigible

[in-kawr-i-juh-buh l, -kor-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incorrigible ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform: incorrigible behavior; an incorrigible liar.

impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable: an incorrigible child; incorrigible hair.

firmly fixed; not easily changed: an incorrigible habit.

not easily swayed or influenced: an incorrigible optimist.

noun

a person who is incorrigible.

Origin of incorrigible

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word incorrigibilis. See in-³, corrigible

Related formsin·cor·ri·gi·bil·i·ty, in·cor·ri·gi·ble·ness, nounin·cor·ri·gi·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for incorrigible

hardened, abandoned, beastly, incurable, intractable, inveterate, irreparable, loser, useless, wicked, irredeemable, recidivous, unreformed

Examples from the Web for incorrigible

Contemporary Examples of incorrigible

But there were also many times when either Palmer or Weaver could have written the other off as an incorrigible pain in the ass.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up
Tom Boswell
September 27, 2014
And Anthony Hopkins as Noah's hammy 969-year-old grandpa, Methuselah, who was apparently an incorrigible berry addict.
‘Noah’ Review: An Ambitious, Flawed Biblical Tale That You Have to See
Andrew Romano
March 28, 2014
“I gotta tell you, you guys in the press are incorrigible,” the president said.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s Lovefest on ‘60 Minutes’
Lauren Ashburn
January 28, 2013
Despite his nebbishy demeanor, the Senate majority leader is an incorrigible junkyard dog.
Why Harry Reid’s Mormon Slur May Be Good for the Church
Michelle Cottle
September 26, 2012
No one wins when the political field is populated exclusively by the incorrigible right and the bemused left.
Resolved: This is Not the Road to a Two-State Solution
Elisheva Goldberg
June 22, 2012

Historical Examples of incorrigible

"You are an incorrigible, young Bonaparte," said the teacher.
The Boy Life of Napoleon
Eugenie Foa
Bobby was incorrigible, and there was no use in expecting seriousness from him.
The Dominant Strain
Anna Chapin Ray
Razumov envied the materialism of the thief and the passion of the incorrigible lover.
Under Western Eyes
Joseph Conrad
It is quite possible that I am a bad economist; but it is certain that I am incorrigible.
Notes on My Books
Joseph Conrad
I laughed at this fad, and, not thinking him incorrigible I took him into my service.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

British Dictionary definitions for incorrigible

incorrigible

adjective

beyond correction, reform, or alteration

firmly rooted; ineradicable

philosophy (of a belief) having the property that whoever honestly believes it cannot be mistakenCompare defeasible

noun

a person or animal that is incorrigible

Derived Formsincorrigibility or incorrigibleness, nounincorrigibly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for incorrigible

adj.

mid-14c., from Old French incorrigible (mid-14c.), or directly from Latin incorrigibilis "not to be corrected," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + corrigibilis, from corrigere "to correct" (see correct). Related: Incorrigibly. As a noun, from 1746.