Immutable means unchanging or unchangeable, derived from Latin roots meaning 'not' and 'to change'.
Immutable means not capable of or susceptible to change. It comes from Latin, combining the prefix 'in-' (not) with 'mutabilis' (changeable), from the verb 'mutare' (to change).
| Word | immutable |
|---|---|
| Date | January 9, 2017 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | ih-MYOO-tuh-bul |
| Etymology | Immutable comes to us through Middle English from Latin immutabilis, meaning "unable to change." Immutabilis was formed by combining the negative prefix in- with mutabilis, which comes from the Latin verb mutare and means "to change." Some other English words that can be traced back to mutare are commute (the earliest sense of which is simply "to change or alter"), mutate ("to undergo significant and basic alteration"), permute ("to change the order or arrangement of"), and transmute ("to change or alter in form, appearance, or nature"). There's also the antonym of immutable—mutable—which of course can mean "prone to change" and "capable of change or of being changed." |
| Examples | "There's an immutable attraction between fingers and potato chips, making resistance, as the saying goes, futile." — Michele Henry, The Toronto Star, 30 Nov. 2016 "Like much of the American heartland, the summertime landscape in Iowa's Webster County is dominated by several immutable features: hot sun and lots of it; a ruler-straight grid of byways …; shining grain silos towering above the plains; and farmhouses…." — Michelle Donahue, PCMag.com, 8 Nov. 2016 |
| Definition | : not capable of or susceptible to change |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Haberdasher dealer clothing noun hats notions word st
Previous card: Jitney route nickel term applied passengers small bus
Up to card list: Word of the Day