inexpugnableadj.
/ɪnɛkˈspʌɡnəb(ə)l/ That cannot be taken by assault or storm; incapable of being overcome, subdued, or overthrown by force; impregnable, invincible.
a. literal of a fortress, an army, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > [adjective]
stithc1000
strongOE
fastenedOE
warneda1300
strengtheda1382
unpregnable1387
embattledc1400
enbanedc1400
warrayable14..
impregnable1430
inexpugnable1490
strengthy1513
bulwarkeda1533
unexpugnable1533
fortified1538
well-fortified1538
unwinnablec1540
forced1548
forted1566
unbatterable1576
fencible?1579
unforcible1611
impregnate1632
untakable1652
of (good) force1697
casemated1740
well-girt1756
embattled1765
strongish1821
unbreachable1866
1490 W. Caxton tr. Eneydos Prol. 10 Troye the graunte, and many other places stronge and inexpugnable haue ben besieged sharpely & assayled.
1533 T. More Answere Poysened Bk. i. xv. f. lxix How the inexpugnable walles of Jeryco were ouerthrowen.
1541 T. Elyot Image of Gouernance vii. f. 14 The inexpugnable armies prepared agaynste hym.
1658 J. Burbury tr. G. Gualdo Priorato Hist. Christina Queen of Swedland 292 The Castle of Besen..seated on a craggy mountain, which renders it inexpugnable.
1789 Ann. Reg. 1787 Hist. Europe 79/2 Convinced at length by dear-bought experience, that this empire was inexpugnable.
1849 G. Grote Hist. Greece V. ii. lix. 249 Syracuse..had not only become inexpugnable, but had assumed the aggressive.
b. figurative of a statement, argument, principle, desire, disposition, quality, condition, etc., or of a person in reference to his principles or disposition: That cannot be overthrown or overcome.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > [adjective] > safe or invulnerable > not effectively assailable
inexpugnablea1535
unassaultable1571
Achillean1579
impregnable1582
unassailable1596
invulnerable1663
inattackable1832
unpuncturable1891
storm-proof1911
the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > [adjective] > not overcome or overwhelmed > that cannot be
insuperablec1340
unvanquishablea1382
unexpugnable1382
invincible1482
unsuperable1526
inexpugnablea1535
unvincible1554
impugnable1570
conquerless1595
invictivea1607
inaccessible?1611
unsubduable1611
insuppressivea1616
inexsuperable1623
undefeatablea1640
unconquerable1642
irreducible1858
tower-proof1858
insubduable1866
uncrushable1873
unwinnable1972
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > absolute certainty > [adjective]
sickera1400
undoubtingc1400
undoubtablec1425
doubtlessc1440
unsoilablec1449
unwithsayablec1450
undoubtedc1460
indoubted?1467
indubitate1480
undubitate1482
unrepugnablea1500
infallible1526
questionless1532
insoluble1533
irrefragable1533
undoubtful1533
inexpugnablea1535
uncontrolleda1535
undeniable1541
indisputable1551
indoubtable1557
unsoluble1559
uncontrollable1577
infringible1581
irreprovable1581
ungainsaid1587
unquestionable1587
unquarrelled1588
peremptory1589
irrefragatea1592
unrefellable1593
unrefutable1594
controversiless1604
unquestioned1604
undisputable1605
impleadable1606
contradictless1607
unargued1609
unchallengeable1611
uncontroversable1617
ungainsayable1618
irrefutable1620
indeniable1621
undenied1621
incontradictable1624
indenied1624
indubious1625
indubitable1625
undisputeda1627
uncontroversed1634
unchallengeda1639
God-given1642
indisputed1643
unconfutable1643
undubitable1643
incontrollable1646
incontrovertible1646
unquarrellable1646
watertight1647
unquaerable1657
uncontrovertible1664
incontestable1673
inconfutable1679
uncontestable1681
uncontested1683
uncontradictory1698
uncontradictable1707
incontested1712
irrevinciblea1746
contestlessa1750
innegable1772
irrecusable1776
unrebuttable1804
unassailable1830
unimpugnable1832
irrebuttablea1834
unquibbled1860
inarguablea1875
automatic1877
inoppugnable1885
indiscussible1893
indiscutable1933
a1535 T. More Confut. Tyndale ii, in Wks. 662 By some of hys own argumentes..he..maketh it rather more strong, and proueth it playn inexpugnable.
1583 P. Barrough Methode of Phisicke i. xvi. 19 Lethargvs..causeth sluggishnesse and an inexpugnable desyre of sleeping.
1662 P. Gunning Paschal or Lent-Fast 218 By Fasting, the three Children also were found..inexpugnable by the Babylonians.
a1734 R. North Examen (1740) iii. vi. §85 The inexpugnable good Will of the Parliament at that Time was the Preservation of the King.
1865 J. S. Mill Exam. Hamilton's Philos. 34 His arguments seem to me very far from inexpugnable.
1894 Mrs. H. Ward Marcella II. ii. v. 4 A certain inexpugnable dignity surrounded him.
Derivatives
inexpugnaˈbility n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > [noun] > safety or invulnerability > unassailability
impregnableness1610
inexpugnableness1727
impregnability1847
unassailableness1854
inexpugnability1864
unassailability1921
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > [noun]
sickerlaika1225
sickerness?c1225
sickerheadc1250
boldness1330
certaintya1340
traistc1340
assurancec1374
certain138.
sureness1419
surancea1450
affiancec1460
certitude?a1475
resting?a1475
security1535
firmancec1540
confidence1555
assuredness1561
resolution1590
plerophory1598
reliance1606
undoubtfulness1619
positiveness1711
positivity1741
decidedness1800
positivism1842
undoubtingness1857
inexpugnability1864
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > absolute certainty > [noun]
irrefragability1609
unanswerableness1627
infallibilitya1631
uncontrollableness1634
unquestionableness1640
undeniableness1654
irrefragableness1682
incontestableness1727
indisputableness1727
indubitableness1727
inexpugnableness1727
unanswerability1750
incontrovertibility1775
unquestionability1815
impugnability1837
incontrovertibleness1837
incontestability1862
inexpugnability1864
irrefutability1864
indisputability1880
doubtlessness1895
indubitability1933
inescapability1945
1864 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia IV. xv. v. 64 What silent courage, or private inexpugnability of mind, was in him.
inexˈpugnableness n. the quality of being inexpugnable, impregnability.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > [noun] > safety or invulnerability > unassailability
impregnableness1610
inexpugnableness1727
impregnability1847
unassailableness1854
inexpugnability1864
unassailability1921
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > absolute certainty > [noun]
irrefragability1609
unanswerableness1627
infallibilitya1631
uncontrollableness1634
unquestionableness1640
undeniableness1654
irrefragableness1682
incontestableness1727
indisputableness1727
indubitableness1727
inexpugnableness1727
unanswerability1750
incontrovertibility1775
unquestionability1815
impugnability1837
incontrovertibleness1837
incontestability1862
inexpugnability1864
irrefutability1864
indisputability1880
doubtlessness1895
indubitability1933
inescapability1945
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Inexpugnableness.
1871 J. Morley J. de Maistre in Crit. Misc. 140 He was..persuaded of the general justice and inexpugnableness of the orthodox system.
inexˈpugnably adv. impregnably, invincibly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > [adverb] > invulnerably
impregnably1602
inexpugnably1653
impassibly1677
invulnerably1847
unassailably1874
charmedly1876
untouchably1909
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > absolute certainty > [adverb]
withouten wantrukea1225
without missa1275
dreadlessc1369
doubtlessc1386
certainlya1400
sadly?a1425
questionlessc1425
undoubtablyc1425
doubtlesslyc1440
unsoilablyc1445
undoubtablec1450
undoubteda1500
undoubtedly?a1500
infallibly1502
indefeasibly1540
undubitately1548
indubitatelya1552
undoubting1552
undoubtingly1552
indoubtedly1563
indoubtly1606
unquestionably1611
questionlessly1612
indubitably1624
undoubtfully1628
uncontrollably1629
irrefragably1635
ungainsayably1637
inquestionablya1641
indubiously1642
unquestionedly1644
incontrollably1646
incontrovertibly1646
indisputably1646
acknowledgedly?1649
inexpugnably1653
uncontrovertablya1658
undubitably1660
inconfutably1664
uncontrollably1676
irrefutably1681
uncontestedly1699
undisputably1707
uncontestably1709
incontestablya1711
uncontrovertibly1755
undisputedly1778
(and) no mistake1818
unchallengeably1827
without resort1827
undeniedly1837
unappealably1840
indubitativelya1853
irrecusably1862
uncontradictably1862
inescapably1881
unarguably1888
sho1893
sure1894
posilutely1914
hands down1936
1653 H. More Second Lash of Alazonomastix (1662) v. v. 122 Incompossibility and Incommensurability that is inexpugnably lodged up in the perverse and unreclaimable Hyle.
1821 W. M. Craig Lect. Drawing viii. 437 Fixing those transactions inexpugnably in your minds.
1881 Stevenson in Longman's Mag. Apr. 680 Of one thing I am inexpugnably assured.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1490