indomitable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2007 is: indomitable • \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\ • adjective : incapable of being subdued : unconquerable Examples: Molly has always admired the indomitable spirit of her great-grandparents, who endured many hardships when they emigrated from Ireland. Did you know? The prefix "in-" means "not" in numerous English words (think of "indecent," "indecisive," "inconvenient," and "infallible"). When "in-" teamed up with the Latin "domitare" ("to tame"), the result was a word meaning "unable to be tamed." "Indomitable" was first used in English in the 1600s as a synonym of "wild," but over time its sense of untamability turned from a problem to a virtue. By the 1800s, "indomitable" was being used for people whose courage and persistence helped them to succeed in difficult situations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.