inextricably
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of inextricably
First recorded in 1590–1600; inextricab(le) ( def. ) + -ly
Explanation
Inextricably is an adverb that means in a manner that is impossible to unravel or separate from something else. It usually modifies words like "linked" and "tied." To most Americans, Thanksgiving and turkey are inextricably linked. Inextricably is the adverb form of the adjective inextricable, which comes from the Latin word inextricabilis, meaning "cannot be disentangled." In your mind, summer and the beach are inextricably tied together because you've spent your vacation at the shore for as long as you can remember. Circumstances might inextricably link you and your neighbor when you're trapped in an elevator together for the longest nine hours of your life.
Vocabulary lists containing inextricably
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Hidden Figures
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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.
Magnason’s family is inextricably linked with the environment — they’ve lived in Iceland for centuries and his grandparents were among the first to explore and research the glaciers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Walking, Justice PS Narasimha wrote, is "the simplest of the simple human activity, inextricably connected to life".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
No matter how the new leadership team operates, the Noma name will continue to be tied inextricably with Redzepi’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Our lives are inextricably bound up in giant networks of data that begin, end, and intersect with 6-inch screens we carry around in our pockets.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
The idea of discovery is inextricably tied up with ideas of exploration, progress, originality, authenticity and novelty.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
