inviolable
Americanadjective
-
prohibiting violation; secure from destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration.
an inviolable sanctuary;
an inviolable promise.
-
incapable of being violated; impregnable; unassailable.
inviolable secrecy.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- inviolability noun
- inviolably adverb
Etymology
Origin of inviolable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin inviolābilis; in- 3, violable
Explanation
Wedding vows and vault combinations that can’t be broken are considered inviolable. (Of course, divorce lawyers and bank robbers consider this a challenge.) The word can refer to a physical structure (a fortress, for instance) or something more conceptual (human rights or morals, perhaps). Inviolable has changed little from its Latin origin of inviolabilis, which combines the prefix in- (meaning "not") with the verb violare ("to violate"). Inviolable turns up in religious settings too, usually in reference to texts or rites. In that context, it means "sacred." No surprise: the antonym of inviolable is violable ("accessible or penetrable").
Vocabulary lists containing inviolable
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Grendel
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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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.
In the face of ideological challenges and pragmatic objections, both men insisted that the dignity of each individual person was sacred and inviolable, and that individual rights must prevail against states and ideologies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025
With that selflessness at the core of public service, he wrote: “I have thence enjoyed of manifesting my inviolable attachment by services faithful and persevering, though in usefulness unequal to my zeal.”
From Slate • Jul. 22, 2024
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike through a spokesperson, saying that UN premises must be "inviolable" and protected by "all parties" during conflicts.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2024
The astounding blue sea ice seemed almost inviolable in its grandeur.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2023
He stood there looking at the destruction of the harbor and knew he had something inviolable that other men had no inkling of and at the same time he had nothing.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
