inexplicable

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English inexplicable, from Middle French inexplicable, from Latin inexplicābilis, from in- (not) +‎ explicābilis (explicable). By surface analysis, in- +‎ explicable.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/, /ɪnˈɛk.splɪ.kə.bəl/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Adjective

inexplicable (comparative more inexplicable, superlative most inexplicable)

  1. Impossible to explain; not easily accounted for.
    Synonyms: inexplainable, unexplainable, insoluble; see also Thesaurus:incomprehensible
    Antonyms: explicable; see also Thesaurus:comprehensible
    • 1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in , transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; , James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo M Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:
      The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.
    • 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 106:
      “No,” replied the girl, “it would not be strange, of course; but for some inexplicable reason I have one of those foolish feminine presentiments that all is not right with Mr. Caldwell. It is the strangest feeling—it is as though I knew that he was not on board the ship.”

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

inexplicable (plural inexplicables)

  1. Something that is inexplicable.
    Synonym: inexplicability
    • 1656, Tho Stanley, “ Chap III. His Writings.”, in The History of Philosophy, the Second Volume, volume II, London: Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring: , →OCLC, 8th part (Containing the Stoick Philosophers), pages 127–128:
      HEE left behind him (ſaith Laertius) theſe excellent Books. Of Inexplicables.
    • 2000, Wally Phillips, “Foreword”, in Vicki Quade, I Remember Bob Collins, Champaign, Ill.: Bannon Multimedia Group, →ISBN, page vi:
      The premature passing of Bob Collins and the sadness it begets leave us in wonder. A man of vigor and vitality, compassion and concern, and a joyous contributor enhancing each new day is suddenly no more. Or is that also conjecture or gospel? Could it be that his departure is but a chapter in the imponderable mystery we long to comprehend? An inexplicable that cannot be perceived?
    • 2001, Ann Zwinger, “Fall Colors, Gifts of Glory”, in Anthony Eaton Cook, Fall Colors across North America, Portland, Ore.: Graphic Arts Center Publishing, →ISBN, page 30:
      Each clone acts as a huge, undivided tree, with its own time of flushing spring leaves, of turning yellow, and its own shade of yellow that can vary from lemon to salmon to an occasional sandy red, the color change defining the margins of each clone. The contrasting colors depend on variations in soil chemistry, slope exposure, genetic makeup, and a grab bag of inexplicables that bless trees, growing so closely that their upper branches may touch, with smartly different colors.
    • 2001, Salman Rushdie, chapter 1, in Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 10:
      Her proposition was that at the heart of each of the great tragedies were unanswerable questions about love, and, to make sense of the plays, we must each attempt to explicate these inexplicables in our own way.

References

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin inexplicābilis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

inexplicable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inexplicables)

  1. inexplicable
    Antonym: explicable

Derived terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Latin inexplicābilis. By surface analysis, in- +‎ explicable.

Pronunciation

Adjective

inexplicable (plural inexplicables)

  1. inexplicable, unexplainable
    Antonym: explicable

Derived terms

Further reading

Galician

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin inexplicābilis.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective

inexplicable m or f (plural inexplicables)

  1. inexplicable, unexplainable
    Antonym: explicable

Derived terms

Further reading

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin inexplicābilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ineɡspliˈkable/
  • Rhymes: -able
  • Syllabification: i‧nex‧pli‧ca‧ble

Adjective

inexplicable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inexplicables)

  1. inexplicable, unexplainable
    Antonym: explicable

Derived terms

Further reading