incorrigible

[ in-kawr-i-juh-buhl, -kor- ]

adjective

1. not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform:

   incorrigible behavior; an incorrigible liar.

2. impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable:

   an incorrigible child; incorrigible hair.

3. firmly fixed; not easily changed:

   an incorrigible habit.

4. not easily swayed or influenced:

   an incorrigible optimist.

noun

1. a person who is incorrigible.

incorrigible

/ ɪnˈkɒrɪdʒəbəl /

adjective

1. beyond correction, reform, or alteration
2. firmly rooted; ineradicable
3. philosophy (of a belief) having the property that whoever honestly believes it cannot be mistaken Compare defeasible

noun

1. a person or animal that is incorrigible

Derived Forms

• inˌcorrigiˈbility, noun
• inˈcorrigibly, adverb

Other Words From

• in·corri·gi·bili·ty in·corri·gi·ble·ness noun
• in·corri·gi·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incorrigible¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word incorrigibilis. See in- ³, corrigible

Example Sentences

Trump’s parents shipped their incorrigible second son off to military school 90 minutes outside New York City just after his 13th birthday.

From Los Angeles Times

But they also gave long, loud and expletive-ridden voice to their belief that the whole incident proved, once again, that the Premier League was incorrigibly corrupt.

From New York Times

Mr Goddard described Mr Packer as "an incorrigible user of sex workers" and said his violence towards women was characterised by seizing them by the throat and choking them.

From BBC

Having signed a bipartisan package of bills, Newsom will ask voters to approve billions of dollars aimed at alleviating California’s seemingly incorrigible homelessness crisis.

From Salon

“He always thought I was an incorrigible optimist. So he was genuinely astonished,” Bird would later say.

From New York Times

Related Words

• hardened