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

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

Life in prison “will only be imposed on a juvenile who’s believed to be incorrigible, unredeemable and with no reasonable expectation of rehabilitation,” said Margaret Raben, former president of a statewide association of defense attorneys who is not involved in the case.

From Washington Times

Life in prison “will only be imposed on a juvenile who’s believed to be incorrigible, unredeemable and with no reasonable expectation of rehabilitation,” said Margaret Raben, former president of a statewide association of defense attorneys who is not involved in the case.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• hardened