Dictionary

inexplicable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪnˈɛk.splɪ.kə.bəl/
• /ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. Impossible to explain; not easily accounted for.
   • “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.” 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 106:
   • But even though he correctly foresaw what would happen to a revolution carried out on Leninist principles, nevertheless the fact that it could succeed at all was inexplicable in terms of his social philosophy. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 353:
   • The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. 1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in [anonymous], transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; […], James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo[rge] M[urray] Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:

Forms

Antonyms

perspicuous · fathomable · explicatable · understandable · limpid · straightforward · illuminable · explicable · tangible · explicable · pellucid · explainable · graspable · intelligible · comprehensible · clear · apprehensible · lucid

Deriveds

inexplicableness · inexplicability · inexplicably

Synonyms

inexplicable · retruse · inenubilable · unexplainable · insoluble · Chinese · bottomless · thick · mysterious · undecipherable · insensible · enigmatic · abstruse · ineffable · nonunderstandable · insoluble · ununderstandable · unknowable · impenetrable · incognizable · unintelligible · unexplainable · inexplainable · insolvable · inscrutable · Greek · tenebrose · unfathomable · ungraspable · fathomless · dense · undiscoverable · obscure · incomprehensible · inapprehensible

Translations (54)

gl inexplicable (impossible to explain) · mk необјаснив (impossible to explain) · ru необъясни́мый (impossible to explain) · sk nevysvetliteľný (impossible to explain) · it incomprensibile (impossible to explain) · oc inexplicable (impossible to explain) · pl niewytłumaczalny (impossible to explain) · sv oförklarlig (impossible to explain) · be невытлумача́льны (impossible to explain) · ko 불가해하다 (impossible to explain) · tr açıklanamaz (impossible to explain) · ro neexplicabil (impossible to explain) · it inspiegabile (impossible to explain) · fr inexplicable (impossible to explain) · ang unāreccendlīċ (impossible to explain) · ja 割り切れない (impossible to explain) · da uforklarlig (impossible to explain) · nb uforklarlig (impossible to explain) · gv neureaghee (impossible to explain) · it inesplicabile (impossible to explain) · ko 설명할 수 없다 (impossible to explain) · sl nerazložljiv (impossible to explain) · ro inexplicabil (impossible to explain) · nn uforklårleg (impossible to explain) · is óútskýranlegur (impossible to explain) · uk непоясни́мий (impossible to explain) · grc δύσφραστος (impossible to explain) · hu megmagyarázhatatlan (impossible to explain) · es inexplicable (impossible to explain) · el ανεξήγητος (impossible to explain) · eo neklarigebla (impossible to explain) · uk непоясне́нний (impossible to explain) · bg необясни́м (impossible to explain) · cy anesboniadwy (impossible to explain) · gv neuhoilsheydagh (impossible to explain) · fi käsittämätön (impossible to explain) · fi selittämätön (impossible to explain) · th ที่อธิบายไม่ได้ (impossible to explain) · ast inesplicable (impossible to explain) · sh необја̀шњив (impossible to explain) · ja 説明がつかない (impossible to explain) · nl onverklaarbaar (impossible to explain) · cmn 不能說明的 /不能说明的 (impossible to explain) · de unerklärlich (impossible to explain) · ca inexplicable (impossible to explain) · la inēnōdābilis (impossible to explain) · ja 不可解な (impossible to explain) · gl inexplicábel (impossible to explain) · nn uforklarleg (impossible to explain) · lt nesuprantamas (impossible to explain) · pt inexplicável (impossible to explain) · cs nevysvětlitelný (impossible to explain) · sq i pashpjegueshëm (impossible to explain) · sh neobjàšnjiv (impossible to explain)

inexplicable en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪnˈɛk.splɪ.kə.bəl/
• /ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. Something that is impossible to explain.
   • 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, 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:
   • HEE [Cleanthes] left behind him (ſaith [Diogenes] Laertius) theſe excellent Books. […] Of Inexplicables. 1656, Tho[mas] Stanley, “[Cleanthes.] Chap[ter] 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:
   • 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. 2001, Salman Rushdie, chapter 1, in Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 10:
   • 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? 2000, Wally Phillips, “Foreword”, in Vicki Quade, I Remember Bob Collins, Champaign, Ill.: Bannon Multimedia Group, →ISBN, page vi:

Forms

Synonyms

inexplicability