unalienable
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does unalienable mean? Unalienable describes things, especially rights, that cannot be taken away, denied, or transferred to another person. Unalienable means the same thing as inalienable, which is now the standard term. Unalienable is no longer in common use, but it is closely associated with the phrase unalienable rights due to its appearance in the U. S. Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”Thomas Jefferson actually used inalienable in early drafts of the Declaration of Independence, but the spelling was changed for the final draft. Unalienable was the preferred spelling until around the 1830s, but inalienable has completely replaced it in regular use. Alienable is a word, but it’s rarely used. It means able to be sold or transferred. Example: We work to make the founders’ words true—that everyone has the unalienable right to freedom.
Etymology
Origin of unalienable
Explanation
What's unalienable cannot be taken away or denied. Its most famous use is in the Declaration of Independence, which says people have unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To find the origins of the word unalienable, we can look at the root, alien, which comes from the Latin alienus, meaning "of or belonging to another." This provides the basis for our word, with the prefix un- providing the turnaround "not," and the suffix -able providing the idea of capability. Therefore, we get “not able to be denied.” Oh, and if you are wondering about the common argument as to whether it is "unalienable" or "inalienable," either is correct.
Vocabulary lists containing unalienable
The Declaration of Independence
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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
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The Declaration of Independence
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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 senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "The United States remains committed to the Declaration of Independence's recognition that all men are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights."
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025
"The United States remains committed to the Declaration of Independence's recognition that all men are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights," a senior State Department official said on customary condition of anonymity.
From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025
Our revolution was based on a democracy where conceptually all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2024
Max has long exhibited uncommon courage in standing up for the unalienable rights we Americans purport to uphold.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2024
Creditors at home and abroad, the army, the navy, every man who has a well founded claim upon the public, have an unalienable right to be satisfied, and this by the fundamental principles of society.
From The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume 7. by Various
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.
