indelible
Americanadjective
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making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or washed out.
indelible ink.
-
impossible to eliminate, forget, or change.
the indelible memories of war;
the indelible influence of a great teacher.
adjective
-
incapable of being erased or obliterated
-
making indelible marks
indelible ink
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indelible
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin indēlibilis; replacing indeleble, from Latin indēlēbilis “indestructible”; see in- 3, dele, -ble
Explanation
If something is indelible, you better hope you never regret it, like the indelible tattoo of the name of your favorite band or the indelible first impression it might give people you meet years from now, especially if your taste in music changes. The adjective indelible describes something that can't be erased or removed, like marks made by an indelible marker, or an indelible moment you will never forget, like your first day of kindergarten or the first time you visit a new, exotic place. It comes from the Latin word indelebilis, meaning "not able to be destroyed."
Vocabulary lists containing indelible
Just Mercy
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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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A Long Way Gone
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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.
The tourists left an indelible mark on the city, but now they have vanished.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
He was a hallmark of 1980s public safety PSAs, and he left an indelible impression on America’s youth.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
The series, a Bavaria Fiction/Sky One production, found the ballast it needed for long-form storytelling in several indelible female characters, two Lothar-Günther Buchheim novels—“Das Boot” and “Die Festung”—and intrigue on both land and sea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Either way, reluctance to associate either Salinger or his most indelible creation with crazed murderers meant keeping their own wounds at arms’ length.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
“The indelible marker. It takes it right off, no scrubbing, just a wipe, without messing up the paint underneath. In other words, you don’t need the muriatic acid.”
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
