invariable
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of invariable
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at in- 3, variable
Explanation
Use the adjective invariable to describe something that's unlikely to change, such as your invariable custom of eating deep-dish pizza every Saturday. You can hear the word vary in invariable. Something that varies changes or is made up of different kinds of things. When you add the prefix in-, meaning "not," and the adjective suffix -able, you get an adjective to describe something that's not able to vary or change. Synonyms for invariable include constant, fixed, and immutable. Someone who's invariable in her habits may seem predictable and boring on the one hand, and steady and reliable on the other.
Vocabulary lists containing invariable
The Color of Water
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The Queen's Gambit
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"The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe
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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.
When reporters asked if he had the stamina for another campaign, his invariable response was: “Watch me.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024
“The ball will always find you” is not, of course, an invariable truth.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023
As I got to know Lipska, we talked about running a lot, about the invariable torture of the first few miles, and about what makes people keep going.
From Washington Post • Aug. 3, 2018
The names on the list are invariable, so if you are in the North Pacific, every sixth year the first named storm will be named, for example, Adrian.
From Slate • Jul. 19, 2017
That is the invariable end of the story—it is never found again.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
