Meaning & use
indefeasible
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformallegallaw
Not able to be lost, annulled, or overturned, especially a legal right or claim.
Grammar: Used before a noun: an indefeasible right. It is not used after verbs like 'be' in everyday speech.
Patterns
- indefeasible right
- indefeasible title
- indefeasible claim
The treaty granted the tribe an indefeasible right to the land.
Once the court recognized her indefeasible title, no one could challenge her ownership.
The company argued that its patent gave it an indefeasible claim to the technology.
Common combinations
- indefeasible right
- The constitution protects the indefeasible right to free speech.
- indefeasible title
- The property owner held an indefeasible title that could not be revoked.
- indefeasible claim
- She had an indefeasible claim to the inheritance under the will.
- indefeasible interest
- The beneficiary received an indefeasible interest in the trust.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inalienable
- Inalienable often describes rights that cannot be given up or taken away, while indefeasible stresses that a right cannot be defeated or annulled.
- absolute
- Absolute means complete and unconditional, but it is broader and less technical than indefeasible.
- irrevocable
- Irrevocable means cannot be revoked or changed, often used for decisions or agreements, not specifically for rights.
Opposites
Word family
- indefeasibly adverb
- In a manner that cannot be lost or annulled.
Commonly confused: indefeasible or indefensible?
indefeasible vs indefensible
Indefensible means impossible to defend or justify, while indefeasible means impossible to annul or defeat. They look similar but have different meanings.
Practice
The court ruled that the plaintiff held an ______ right to the property, which could not be taken away by later legislation.
Choose one answer.
Indefeasible means cannot be annulled or defeated, which fits the legal context. Indefensible means cannot be defended, indefinite means not clearly defined, and indelible means cannot be removed or forgotten.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indefeasible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.