Meaning & use
inalienable
Last updated
UK/ɪnˈeɪliənəbl/
US/ɪnˈeɪliənəbl/
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformal
Not able to be taken away, given up, or transferred from a person.
Grammar: Used before nouns, especially 'rights': inalienable rights.
Patterns
- inalienable rights
- inalienable right to something
The declaration states that all people have inalienable rights.
Freedom of speech is considered an inalienable right in many countries.
Common combinations
- inalienable rights
- The constitution protects inalienable rights.
- inalienable right to
- They argued for an inalienable right to privacy.
- declare something inalienable
- The court declared the right inalienable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- absolute
- Absolute means complete and unrestricted, but it does not specifically mean that something cannot be taken away.
- inviolable
- Inviolable means that something must not be violated or broken, often used for rules or places, not for rights that cannot be given up.
Opposites
Word family
- inalienably adverb
- In a way that cannot be taken away or transferred.
- alienable adjective
- Able to be taken away or transferred.
Commonly confused: inalienable or unalienable?
inalienable vs unalienable
Unalienable is a less common variant with the same meaning, famously used in the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Practice
The right to life is often described as an ______ right.
Choose one answer.
Inalienable means that the right cannot be taken away. 'Alienable' means the opposite, and 'alienated' and 'alien' do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inalienable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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