inexorable

adjective

in·​ex·​o·​ra·​ble (ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-bəl 

-ˈneks-rə-,

-ˈneg-zə-rə- 

: not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless

inexorable progress

inexorability

(ˌ)i-ˌnek-sə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌneks-rə-

-ˌneg-zə-

noun

inexorableness

(ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-bəl-nəs 

-ˈneks-rə-

-ˈneg-zə-

noun

inexorably

(ˌ)i-ˈnek-sə-rə-blē 

-ˈneks-rə-

-ˈneg-zə-rə-

adverb

Did you know?

The Latin antecedent of inexorable is inexorabilis, which is itself a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "not," plus exorabilis, meaning "pliant" or "capable of being moved by entreaty." It's a fitting etymology for inexorable. You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable. Inexorable has been a part of the English language since the 1500s. Originally, it was often applied to people or sometimes to personified things, as in "deaf and inexorable laws." These days, it is usually applied to things, as in "inexorable monotony" or "an inexorable trend." In such cases, it essentially means "unyielding" or "inflexible."

Examples of inexorable in a Sentence

the inexorable rise of a political movement

Recent Examples on the Web

There are a few different recurring themes, like the cramped horizons facing women who want to devote themselves to sport as adults, and, always in the background, the inexorable passage of time. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 2 Dec. 2024

The spirals are insatiable, inexorable, and all-encompassing. —Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024

Israel’s 40-year program of inexorable dispossession of Palestinians through land seizures and settlement, a process long slow and implicit, has become increasingly rapid and explicit since October 7. —Robert Grenier, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Carol Geist Viard, who published the article, The Pragmatist Method, in the European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy (2015), states that civil interactions are inexorable elements of democratic citizenship. —Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin inexorabilis, from in- + exorabilis pliant, from exorare to prevail upon, from ex- + orare to speak — more at oration

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

inexorable

adjective

in·​ex·​o·​ra·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈeks-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: relentless

inexorability

(ˌ)in-ˌeks-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

inexorableness

(ˈ)in-ˈeks-(ə-)rə-bəl-nəs 

noun

inexorably

-blē 

adverb