immutable

adjective

im·​mu·​ta·​ble (ˌ)i(m)-ˈmyü-tə-bəl How to pronounce immutable (audio)
: not capable of or susceptible to change
immutableness noun
immutably adverb

Did you know?

Immutable may describe something that is incapable of change, but the word itself—like all words—is mutable, both capable of and prone to alteration. To put a finer point on it, if language were fixed, we wouldn’t have immutable itself, which required a variety of mutations of the Latin verb mutare (“to change”) to reach our tongues (or pens, keyboards, or touchscreens—oh the many permutations of communication!). Other English words that can be traced back to mutare include mutate, transmute, and commute. Which reminds us—the mutability of language makes great food for thought during one’s commute.

Examples of immutable in a Sentence

the immutable laws of nature one of the immutable laws of television is that low ratings inevitably lead to cancellation
Recent Examples on the Web When the first sign of a cyberattack happens, a trigger automatically causes immutable snapshots to be taken of your organization’s data. Eric Herzog, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Then there's the immutable fact of biological aging itself. Alice Park, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 The data didn’t just show that people’s lives were guided by immutable facts like class and race. German Lopez, New York Times, 25 July 2024 The sequel never even refers to the immutable law of capitalism that was the core argument of its predecessor. Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020 See all Example Sentences for immutable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immutable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin immutabilis, from in- + mutabilis mutable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immutable was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near immutable

Cite this Entry

“Immutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immutable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

immutable

adjective
im·​mu·​ta·​ble (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)yüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce immutable (audio)
: impossible to change
immutably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on immutable

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