inimitable
adjective
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How Should You Use inimitable?
Something that is inimitable is, literally, not able to be imitated. In actual usage the word describes things so uniquely extraordinary as to not be copied or equaled, which is why you often hear it used to praise outstanding talents or performances (or uniquely talented and incomparable individuals). (The less common antonym imitable describes things that are common or ordinary and could easily be replicated.) Inimitable comes, via Middle English, from the Latin adjective inimitabilis. Be careful not to confuse it with inimical or inimicable, two adjectives meaning “hostile” or “harmful”; those words come from a different Latin root.
Examples of inimitable in a Sentence
Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
From the tobacco spitting to the bicep popping – what action-movie fan hasn't used that handshake GIF with Arnie and the inimitable Carl Weathers?
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Here, the inimitable matriarch Aurora Greenway’s suitors circle, clueless as Emma Woodhouse’s.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 June 2025
On the cable front, Warner Bros. Discovery’s split from the NBA made for a very conspicuous absence during its upfront show, which could have used a dose of the inimitable Charles Barkley.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Inimitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inimitable. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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inimitable
adjective
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