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in·vi·o·la·ble

(ĭn-vīə-lə-bəl)

adj.

1. Secure from violation or profanation: an inviolable reliquary deep beneath the altar.

2. Impregnable to assault or trespass; invincible: fortifications that made the frontier inviolable.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin inviolābilis : in-, not; see IN-¹ + violāre, to violate; see VIOLATE.]

in·vi′o·la·bili·ty, in·vio·la·ble·ness n.

in·vio·la·bly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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