inexpugnable, a.
(ɪnɛkˈspʌgnəb(ə)l)
[a. F. inexpugnable (14th c. in Littré Suppl.), ad. L. inexpugnābilis, f. in- (in-3) + expugnābilis expugnable.]
That cannot be taken by assault or storm; incapable of being overcome, subdued, or overthrown by force; impregnable, invincible. a. lit. of a fortress, an army, etc.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos Prol. 10 Troye the graunte, and many other places stronge and inexpugnable haue ben besieged sharpely & assayled. 1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. Wks. 1062/1 How the inexpugnable walles of Jerico were ouerthrowen. 1540–1 Elyot Image Gov. (1556) 23 The inexpugnable armies prepared against hym. 1658 Hist. Christina Queen of Swedland 292 The Castle of Besen..seated on a craggy mountain, which renders it inexpugnable. 1787 Hist. Eur. in Ann. Reg. 79/2 Convinced at length..that this empire was inexpugnable. 1849 Grote Greece ii. lix. V. 249 Syracuse..had not only become inexpugnable, but had assumed the aggressive. |
b. fig. of a statement, argument, principle, desire, disposition, quality, condition, etc., or of a person in reference to his principles or disposition: That cannot be overthrown or overcome.
| a 1535 More Agst. Tyndall ii. Wks. 662 By some of hys own argumentes..he..maketh it rather more strong, and proueth it playn inexpugnable. 1590 P. Barrough Meth. Physick i. xv. (1639) 24 An inexpugnable desire of sleeping. 1662 Gunning Lent Fast 218 By Fasting, the three Children also were found..inexpugnable by the Babylonians. a 1734 North Exam. iii. vi. §85 The inexpugnable good Will of the Parliament at that Time was the Preservation of the King. 1865 Mill Exam. Hamilton 34 His arguments seem to me very far from inexpugnable. 1894 Mrs. H. Ward Marcella II. 4 A certain inexpugnable dignity surrounded him. |
Hence inexpugnaˈbility, inexˈpugnableness, the quality of being inexpugnable, impregnability; also inexˈpugnably adv., impregnably, invincibly.
| 1653 H. More Conject. Cabbal. App. (1662) v. v. 122 Incompossibility and Incommensurability that is inexpugnably lodged up in the perverse and unreclaimable Hyle. 1727 Bailey vol. II, Inexpugnableness. 1821 Craig Lect. Drawing viii. 437 Fixing those transactions inexpugnably in your minds. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xv. v. (1872) VI. 3 What silent courage, or private inexpugnability of mind, was in him. 1871 Morley Crit. Misc. 140 He was..persuaded of the general justice and inexpugnableness of the orthodox system. 1881 Stevenson in Longm. Mag. Apr. 680 Of one thing I am inexpugnably assured. |