impregnable

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪmˈprɛgnəbəl/ UK /ɪmˈpɹɛɡ.nəˌb(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #28716

Meanings

1

adj
incapable of being overcome, challenged or refuted

An impregnable argument.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · incapable of being... inexpugnable

More unbeatable invincible invulnerable

Word family

Forms impregnably

Derived forms impregnabilityimpregnablenessimpregnably

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

impregnable fortress
a strongly defended place considered impossible to capture

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Late Middle English imprenable, impregnable (“impossible to capture, impregnable”), from Old French imprenable (modern French imprenable (“impregnable”)), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + prenable (“(military) of a building, position, etc.: takable”) (from prendre (“to take”) + -able (suffix meaning ‘creating an effect or influence’)). Prendre is derived from Latin prēndere, present active infinitive of prēndō, a variant of prehendō (“to catch, lay hold of; to grasp; to grab, snatch; to seize, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to find; to hold; to sei...

*gʰed- Proto-Indo-European imprenable Middle English prēndere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# impregnable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪmˈprɛgnəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɹɛɡ.nəˌb(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 28716

## Meanings
1. incapable of being overcome, challenged or refuted

## Examples
- An impregnable argument.

## Synonyms
- inexpugnable
- unbeatable
- invincible
- invulnerable

## Derived Forms
- impregnability
- impregnableness
- impregnably

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰed-
- Root: imprenable
- Root: prēndere

## Etymology
From Late Middle English imprenable, impregnable (“impossible to capture, impregnable”), from Old French imprenable (modern French imprenable (“impregnable”)), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + prenable (“(military) of a building, position, etc.: takable”) (from prendre (“to take”) + -able (suffix meaning ‘creating an effect or influence’)). Prendre is derived from Latin prēndere, present active infinitive of prēndō, a variant of prehendō (“to catch, lay hold of; to grasp; to grab, snatch; to seize, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to find; to hold; to sei...

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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