inalienable

American  

[in-eyl-yuh-nuh-buhl, -ey-lee-uh-] / ɪnˈeɪl yə nə bəl, -ˈeɪ li ə- /

adjective

1. not transferable to another or not capable of being taken away or denied; not alienable.

   inalienable rights, freedoms, and liberties; an inalienable territory; inalienable principles and values.

   Synonyms:

   inherent, unassailable, absolute, inviolable

---

inalienable British  

/ ɪnˈeɪljənəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be transferred to another; not alienable

   the inalienable rights of the citizen

---

Usage

What does inalienable mean? Inalienable describes things, especially rights, that cannot be taken away, denied, or transferred to another person. Inalienable means the same thing as unalienable, which is no longer in common use. However, unalienable is closely associated with the phrase unalienable rights due to its appearance in the U. S. Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”Thomas Jefferson actually used inalienable in early drafts of the Declaration of Independence, but the spelling was changed for the final draft. Unalienable was the preferred spelling until around the 1830s, but inalienable has completely replaced it in regular use. Alienable is a word, but it’s rarely used. It means able to be sold or transferred. Example: We work to make the founders’ words true—that everyone has the inalienable right to freedom.

Other Word Forms

• inalienability noun
• inalienableness noun
• inalienably adverb

Etymology

Origin of inalienable

First recorded in 1610–20; in- ³ + alienable

Explanation

Something that is yours forever, that can’t be taken away and given to your little brother instead? That something would be called inalienable. The word refers to a natural right that cannot be revoked by an outside force. The word inalienable is often linked to human rights — you’ve probably heard the term “inalienable rights.” In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson (using the un- variant) wrote that all men are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" including "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The spelling may vary but the meaning is clear: an inalienable right is something that can’t be given or taken away by a government or another legal power.

Example Sentences

In Article I, the first section promises that “all people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Araghchi told Al Jazeera that nuclear enrichment was Iran's "inalienable right and must continue".

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Every person on this planet should be given the inalienable right to human dignity, with or without “the proper paperwork.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

"An inalienable right should not be made conditional," the report adds.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2025

These were the inalienable rights of the immigrant.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee