ungovernable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈɡʌvərnəbəl/ UK /ʌnˈɡʌvənəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to control or rule

The crowd grew ungovernable as rumors spread.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to control or rule uncontrollable unmanageable unruly wild intractable wayward refractory rebellious

Opposites

governable controllable manageable docile tractable

Word family

Derived forms ungovernablyungovernability

Related forms govern governable government

Etymology

From un- ('not') + governable, from govern, from Old French governer, from Latin gubernare ('to steer, direct'), from Ancient Greek kybernan ('to steer a ship').

un- Old English gubernare Latin κυβερνάω Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ungovernable

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

## Meanings
1. impossible to control or rule

## Examples
- The crowd grew ungovernable as rumors spread.

## Synonyms
- uncontrollable
- unmanageable
- unruly
- wild
- intractable
- wayward
- refractory
- rebellious

## Antonyms
- governable
- controllable
- manageable
- docile
- tractable

## Derived Forms
- ungovernably
- ungovernability

## Related Forms
- govern
- governable
- government

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: gubernare
- Root: κυβερνάω

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + governable, from govern, from Old French governer, from Latin gubernare ('to steer, direct'), from Ancient Greek kybernan ('to steer a ship').

## AI Etymology
Ungovernable is from un- ('not') + governable, from govern, from Old French governer, from Latin gubernare ('to steer, direct'), from Ancient Greek kybernan ('to steer a ship'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), gubernare (Latin), and κυβερνάω (Ancient Greek). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers impossible to control or rule. The wider family includes derived forms such as ungovernably and ungovernability and related words such as govern, governable, and government.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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