indocile

I1N1D2O1C3I1L1E1
UK/ɪnˈdəʊsaɪl/UK/ɪnˈdɒsɪl/

adjective

Unwilling to be taught or instructed; intractable or recalcitrant.

Similar
uncontrollableungovernableunrulyunmanageabledifficult
OriginLatin indocilis ← French indocile ← Ancient Greek διδάσκω (didáskō) →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveindocile (comparative more indocile, superlative most indocile)

comparative more indocile · superlative most indocile

  1. Unwilling to be taught or instructed; intractable or recalcitrant.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveincapable of being controlled

Similar
uncontrollableungovernableunrulyunmanageabledifficult
Also see
difficultuncontrollableungovernableunmanageableunruly

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*deḱ-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*doḱ-éye-ti
  7. Proto-Italic*dokejō
  8. Proto-Italic*dokeō
  9. Ancient Greekδιδάσκω (didáskō)
  10. Latindoceō
  11. Latindocilis
  12. Latinindocilis
  13. Frenchindocile
  14. Latinindocilis
  15. Englishindocile

From either the French indocile or the Latin indocilis.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

indocile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indocile

MLA

“indocile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indocile. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indocile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indocile.

Source: indocile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.