Word of the Day

: April 11, 2013

indissoluble

adjective in-dih-SAHL-yuh-bul

What It Means

: incapable of being dissolved or disintegrated; especially : incapable of being annulled, undone, or broken : permanent

indissoluble in Context

The minister contended that matrimony is a bond that is indissoluble in the eyes of God.

"At a news conference to present the message, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which promotes Catholic charitable giving, told reporters, that insisting on the indissoluble link between faith and charity is like 'hitting a raw nerve.'" - From an article in The Catholic Standard, February 12, 2013

Did You Know?

"Indissoluble" entered the English language close on the heels of its antonym "dissoluble" ("capable of being dissolved"). "Dissoluble" (from Latin "dissolubilis") first appeared in print in 1534, and "indissoluble" (with its "in-" prefix) followed in 1542. "Dissolubilis" derives from "dissolvere" ("to loosen" or "to dissolve"), which in turn comes from "dis-" ("apart") and "solvere" ("to loosen"). Not surprisingly, "dissolvere" is also the source of "dissolve" and "dissolvable," among other words. Is there an "indissolvable"? Yes and no. It exists, but it is archaic and rare. The word most likely to be used for things that cannot be dissolved in a liquid is "insoluble." "Indissoluble" generally refers to abstract entities, such as promises or treaties, that cannot be dissolved.