inextricable

American  

[in-ek-stri-kuh‐, in-ik-strik-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈɛk strɪ kə‐, ˌɪn ɪkˈstrɪk ə bəl /

adjective

1. from which one cannot extricate oneself.

   an inextricable maze.

2. incapable of being disentangled, undone, loosed, or solved.

   an inextricable knot.

3. hopelessly intricate, involved, or perplexing.

   inextricable confusion.

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inextricable British  

/ ˌɪnɛksˈtrɪkəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be escaped from

   an inextricable dilemma

2. not able to be disentangled, etc

   an inextricable knot

3. extremely involved or intricate

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Other Word Forms

• inextricability noun
• inextricableness noun
• inextricably adverb

Etymology

Origin of inextricable

First recorded in 1375–1425; a late Middle English word, from the Latin word inextrīcābilis; in- ³, extricable

Explanation

A chain that is very badly knotted and cannot be unraveled is inextricable. You cannot disentangle it. Inextricable comes from the Latin prefix in- meaning "not" and extricare meaning "unravel." Something that is inextricable cannot be unraveled. This isn't just limited to objects. Memories from childhood can sometimes be inextricable from other associations — so bound up that it is hard to separate one from the other.

Example Sentences

A woman’s perspective is inextricable from its text.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

As to the famous fine line between stupid and clever, the stupidity and the cleverness are all but inextricable, and to the point.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

But for the Iranian director Jafar Panahi the two are unusually inextricable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Her signing skills are an inextricable part of her remarkable story.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

What I kept forgetting, of course, was that high school was home to infinite cliches for a reason, and that Ocean was, in some ways, still inextricable from his own stereotype.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi