Word of the Day - 02/11/26
impregnable
/ɪm'prɛgnəbəl/(adj.): immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with
The ancient castle was believed to be impregnable, its formidable defenses deterring any invaders.
(adj.): incapable of being overcome, challenged or refuted
His legal argument, supported by irrefutable evidence, presented an impregnable case to the jury.
Word Origin
The word 'impregnable' originates from the Latin 'in-' (not) and 'prehendere' (to seize, grasp), via Old French 'imprenable' (not able to be taken). It breaks down into 'im-' (a variant of 'in-', meaning 'not') and 'pregnable', which comes from Old French 'prenable' (capable of being taken), itself derived from the Latin verb 'prehendere' (to seize, grasp) combined with the Latin suffix '-abilis' (capable of).
Words with similar origins include 'apprehend' (from Latin 'ad-' + 'prehendere', to seize or grasp), 'comprehend' (from Latin 'com-' + 'prehendere', to grasp entirely), 'reprehend' (from Latin 're-' + 'prehendere', to rebuke), 'enterprise' (from Old French 'entreprendre', to undertake, where 'prendre' derives from 'prehendere'), and 'surprise' (from Old French 'sorprendre', to take unexpectedly, also using 'prendre').