inimitable

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈɪmɪtəbl̩/

Adjective

inimitable (comparative more inimitable, superlative most inimitable)

1. Beyond imitation, surpassing all others; matchless.

   Antonyms: imitable, commonplace

   • 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:

     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.

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

     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.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with inimicable (“harmful, hostile”).

Derived terms

• inimitability
• inimitably

Translations

beyond imitation

• Bulgarian: неподражаем (bg) (nepodražaem)
• Dutch: onnavolgbaar (nl)
• Esperanto: neimitebla
• Finnish: jäljittelemätön (fi)
• French: inimitable (fr)
• German: unnachahmlich (de)
• Greek: αμίμητος (el) (amímitos)
• Hungarian: utánozhatatlan (hu)
• Japanese: 真似まねを許ゆるさない (ja) (mane wo yurusanai), 独特どくとくの (ja) (dokutoku no)
• Manx: neuarrishagh
• Polish: niepowtarzalny (pl), niezrównany (pl), niepodrabialny
• Portuguese: inimitável
• Spanish: inimitable
• Turkish: benzersiz (tr), eşsiz (tr)

See also

• illimitable

French

Etymology

From in- +‎ imitable.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ni.mi.tabl/

Adjective

inimitable (plural inimitables)

1. unmatched, uncontestable, inimitable

Derived terms

• inimitabilité

Further reading

• “inimitable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inimiˈtable/ [i.ni.miˈt̪a.βべーた̞le]
• Rhymes: -able
• Syllabification: i‧ni‧mi‧ta‧ble

Adjective

inimitable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inimitables)

1. inimitable

Derived terms

• inimitablemente

 

Further reading

• “inimitable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 23rd edition, Royal Spanish Academy, 2014 October 16