interminable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈtɜrmɪnəbəl/ UK /ɪnˈtɜːmɪnəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
endless or seemingly without limit, especially tediously so

They endured an interminable wait at the border crossing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · endless or seemingly... endless ceaseless unending incessant perpetualnever-ending

Opposites

finite brief terminable short

Word family

Derived forms interminablyinterminableness

Related forms terminate terminal term determine

Etymology

From Late Latin interminabilis ('endless'), from in- ('not') + terminabilis ('that may be bounded'), from terminare ('to limit, end'), from terminus ('boundary, end').

interminabilis Latin terminus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# interminable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈtɜrmɪnəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈtɜːmɪnəbəl/

## Meanings
1. endless or seemingly without limit, especially tediously so

## Examples
- They endured an interminable wait at the border crossing.

## Synonyms
- endless
- ceaseless
- unending
- incessant
- perpetual
- never-ending

## Antonyms
- finite
- brief
- terminable
- short

## Derived Forms
- interminably
- interminableness

## Related Forms
- terminate
- terminal
- term
- determine

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: interminabilis
- Root: terminus

## Etymology
From Late Latin interminabilis ('endless'), from in- ('not') + terminabilis ('that may be bounded'), from terminare ('to limit, end'), from terminus ('boundary, end').

## AI Etymology
Interminable comes from Late Latin interminabilis ('endless'), from in- ('not') + terminabilis ('that may be bounded'), from terminare ('to limit, end'), from terminus ('boundary, end'). The etymological trail includes Latin interminabilis and Latin terminus. As an adjective, interminable means endless or seemingly without limit, especially tediously so. The same family is visible in derived forms such as interminably and interminableness and related forms such as terminate, terminal, term, and determine. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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