impregnable

adjective

im·​preg·​na·​ble im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl How to pronounce impregnable (audio)
1
: incapable of being taken by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
2
: unassailable
also : impenetrable
impregnable walls
impregnability noun
impregnableness noun
impregnably adverb

Did you know?

Impregnable is one of the many English words that bear a French ancestry, thanks to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. It derives from the Middle French verb prendre, which means "to take or capture." Combining prendre with various prefixes has given our language many other words, too, including surprise, reprise, and enterprise. Remarkably, impregnable has a different origin from the similar-looking word pregnant; that word comes from a different Latin word, praegnas, meaning "carrying a fetus."

Examples of impregnable in a Sentence

an impregnable fortress that had foiled one invader after another over the centuries the castle's supposedly impregnable walls
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There was no impregnable IP, technology, or secret Coca-Cola ingredient. Judah Taub, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2024 Superstar Harmanpreet Kaur's unbelievable 171 not out that destroyed an impregnable Australia in a remarkable semi-final upset was seen as a turning point. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 His party lost a majority of seats in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, once considered an impregnable fortress for his brand of Hindu nationalism and identity politics. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2024 Once when told that a certain French fortress was impregnable and once when told that his mother-in-law had died. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 25 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impregnable 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English imprenable, from Middle French, from in- + prenable vulnerable to capture, from prendre to take — more at prize

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impregnable was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near impregnable

Cite this Entry

“Impregnable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impregnable. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

impregnable

adjective
im·​preg·​na·​ble im-ˈpreg-nə-bəl How to pronounce impregnable (audio)
: not able to be captured by assault : unconquerable
an impregnable fortress
impregnably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impregnable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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