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ineluctable

/ˌˈɪnəˌˈlʌktəbəl/
IPA guide

Huh? Are you scratching your head at this word? The ineluctable conclusion is that you haven't the faintest idea what it means. Ineluctable means impossible to avoid.

A five syllable beauty like ineluctable is obviously not the kind of word you throw around in daily speech. It's far more often used as a written word, as in the common phrase "ineluctable conclusion." Used interchangeably with the more common unavoidable, though ineluctable implies an unsuccessful attempt to battle against whatever is ineluctable: after all, it comes from the Latin word "to struggle."

Definitions of ineluctable
  1. adjective
    impossible to avoid or evade
    “an ineluctable destiny”
    inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘ineluctable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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