Meaning & use
inexplicable
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Impossible to explain or make sense of, because no reason for it can be found.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an inexplicable noise, or the delay was inexplicable.
Patterns
- it is inexplicable that something happens
- inexplicable to someone
The lights went out for an inexplicable reason, although the wiring had just been checked.
Her inexplicable absence from the meeting worried everyone.
It remains inexplicable to me why anyone would leave such a good job.
Common combinations
- inexplicable behavior
- The cat's inexplicable behavior began the night the storm hit.
- inexplicable disappearance
- Investigators puzzled over the inexplicable disappearance of the files.
- seemingly inexplicable
- The seemingly inexplicable rise in prices turned out to have a simple cause.
- inexplicable sense of
- He felt an inexplicable sense of dread as he opened the door.
- remain inexplicable
- The results remain inexplicable, even after three separate tests.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unexplainable
- Unexplainable means the same but is plainer and less common in writing, whereas inexplicable sounds a little more formal.
- baffling
- Baffling describes how confusing something is to the person trying to understand it, while inexplicable says that no explanation exists or has been found.
- mysterious
- Mysterious adds a sense of secrecy or strangeness, whereas inexplicable focuses on the lack of any reason.
- unaccountable
- Unaccountable is close in meaning but often describes feelings or behavior that seem to have no cause, and it is slightly more old-fashioned.
Opposites
Word family
- inexplicably adverb
- in a way that cannot be explained
- explicable adjective
- able to be explained
- explain verb
- to make something clear by giving reasons or details
- explanation noun
- a statement that makes something clear
Commonly confused: inexplicable or inexplicit?
inexplicable vs inexplicit
Inexplicit means not stated clearly or openly, while inexplicable means that no explanation can be found.
Practice
The rise in sales was ___: nobody in the company could find a reason for it.
Choose one answer.
Inexplicable means impossible to explain, which matches the lack of any reason. Inexplicit is a tempting look-alike but means not clearly stated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inexplicable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.