inviolable
adjective
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Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its opposite, violable ("capable of being or likely to be violated"), appeared in the following century. The 17th century English playwright Shackerley Marmion made good use of violable in A Fine Companion, writing, "Alas, my heart is Tender and violable with the least weapon Sorrow can dart at me." But English speakers have never warmed up to that word the way we have to inviolable, and it continues to be used much less frequently. Both terms descend from the Latin verb violare, which both shares the meaning with, and is an ancestor of, the English word violate.
Examples of inviolable in a Sentence
Ian Chaffee, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The debate is shifting to how much of Russia's battlefield victories will be accepted, rather than over rights and the inviolable nature of international borders.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Even the inviolable Shield has taken its knocks during the Great Unbundling, although NFL Network is still a fixture in far more homes than the in-house channels owned by rival leagues.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 July 2025
The consulate is inviolable under international law, a sanctuary within the city of Los Angeles.
—Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for inviolable
Cite this Entry
“Inviolable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inviolable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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inviolable
adjective
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