inimitable

I1N1I1M3I1T1A1B3L1E1
/ɪnˈɪmɪtəbl̩/

adjective

Beyond imitation, surpassing all others; matchless.

Meanings

adjectiveinimitable (comparative more inimitable, superlative most inimitable)

comparative more inimitable · superlative most inimitable

  1. Beyond imitation, surpassing all others; matchless.

    Let's see you pay for your drink in your own inimitable fashion, huh? A song, Denton! How about it?

    1959, “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” (1:34 from the start), in The Twilight Zone, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Dan Hotaling (Martin Landau)
    2 more examples

    Moreover, a perfect Medal has its Profile and out-ſtroaks ſharp (Nummus aſper) and by no means rugged; the Figures clean and well poliſh'd; the Contours neatly trimm'd, and exactly round and carefully preſerv'd; that the Extancy and Relievos correſpond with the Ingraving, and have not ſuffer'd in Percuſſion; in all which, there is a certain Spirit of Antiquity and Excellency to be diſcern'd in Antient Medals almoſt inimitable.

    1697, J[ohn] Evelyn, “Instructions How to Collect, and Procure such Medals as are Antique, and Rare; and to Distinguish the True from the False, for the Prevention of Frauds and Impostures”, in Numismata. A Discourse of Medals, Antient and Modern. […], London: […] Benj[amin] Tooke […], →OCLC, page 201

    Sterling himself, though he had the most picturesque and inimitable vocabulary of vituperation, was highly squeamish about ordinary smut or profanity. He had indeed that nice-Nelliness which is often characteristic of the Don Juan type.

    1947, Miriam Allen deFord, “Laureate of Bohemia: George Sterlin”, in They Were San Franciscans, Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., page 306

    Synonyms: incopiable, uncopiable, unimitable · Antonyms: imitable, commonplace

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveBeyond imitation, surpassing all others; matchless.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivedefying imitation; matchless

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latininimitabilis
  2. Middle Frenchinimitable
  3. Englishinimitable

Borrowed from Middle French inimitable, from Latin inimitabilis, corresponding to in- + imitable.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian неподражаем
  • неподражаем (nepodražaem)beyond imitation
Dutch onnavolgbaar
  • onnavolgbaarbeyond imitation
Esperanto neimitebla
  • neimiteblabeyond imitation
Finnish jäljittelemätön
  • jäljittelemätönbeyond imitation
French inimitable
  • inimitablebeyond imitation
German unnachahmlich
  • unnachahmlichbeyond imitation
Greek αμίμητος
  • αμίμητος (amímitos)beyond imitation
Hungarian utánozhatatlan
  • utánozhatatlanbeyond imitation
Japanese 真似を許さない, 独特の
  • 真似を許さない (mane wo yurusanai)beyond imitation
  • 独特の (dokutoku no)beyond imitation
Polish niepowtarzalny, niezrównany
  • niepowtarzalnybeyond imitation
  • niezrównanybeyond imitation
  • niepodrabialnybeyond imitation
Portuguese inimitável
  • inimitávelbeyond imitation
Russian неподража́емый
  • неподража́емый (nepodražájemyj)beyond imitation
Spanish inimitable
  • inimitablebeyond imitation
Turkish benzersiz, eşsiz
  • benzersizbeyond imitation
  • eşsizbeyond imitation
Cite this entry
APA

inimitable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inimitable

MLA

“inimitable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inimitable. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inimitable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inimitable.

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