Meanings
- not comparableNot variable; unalterable; uniform; always having the same value.
Physical laws which are invariable.
1860, Isaac Taylor, Ultimate Civilisation2 more examples
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action.
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLCThe rebuilt "Merchant Navy" Pacifics have the monopoly of these workings, and Mr. C. K. Dunkley writes that as a result of their reduced water consumption, as compared with the unrebuilt engines, some engine-crews no longer spend time taking water at Southampton Central, the invariable practice previously.
1957 October 28, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 714 - not comparablemathematicsConstant.
- broadlynot comparableor a grammatical classgrammarThat cannot undergo inflection, conjugation or declension.
The French adjective marron ‘brown’ is invariable: it does not take the usual s in the plural.
Synonyms: uninflectable
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveThat cannot undergo inflection, conjugation or declension.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot liable to or capable of change
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Middle Englishin-
- Englishin-
- Englishvariable
- Englishinvariable
From in- + variable. Piecewise doublet of unvariable.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неизменя́ем, неизменен
- неизменя́ем (neizmenjáem)not variable
- неизменен (neizmenen)not variable
- постоянен (postojanen)(mathematics) constant
- константен (konstanten)(mathematics) constant
Catalan invariable
- invariablenot variable
Danish uforanderlig
- uforanderlignot variable
Dutch onveranderlijk
- onveranderlijknot variable
Finnish muuttumaton
- muuttumatonnot variable
French invariable
- invariablenot variable
German unveränderlich
- unveränderlichnot variable
Greek άκλιτος
- άκλιτος (áklitos)not variable
Irish do-athraitheach
- do-athraitheachnot variable
Italian invariabile
- invariabilenot variable
Norwegian Bokmål ubøyelig
- ubøyelignot variable
Polish niezmienny, stały
- niezmiennynot variable
- stałynot variable
Portuguese invariável
- invariávelnot variable
Romanian invariabil, invariabilă
- invariabilnot variable
- invariabilănot variable
- nevariabilnot variable
- neschimbabilnot variable
Russian неизме́нный, неизменя́емый
- неизме́нный (neizménnyj)not variable
- неизменя́емый (neizmenjájemyj)not variable
Spanish invariable, ejecutorio
- invariablenot variable
- ejecutorionot variable
Swedish oföränderlig
- oföränderlignot variable
Ukrainian незмінний, постійний
- незмінний (nezminnyj)not variable
- постійний (postijnyj)(mathematics) constant
- сталий (stalyj)(mathematics) constant
Cite this entry
invariable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invariable
“invariable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invariable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “invariable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invariable.
Source: invariable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.