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insuperable

adjective
in·​su·​per·​a·​ble | \ (ËŒ)in-ˈsü-p(É™-)rÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce insuperable (audio) \

Definition of insuperable

: incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved insuperable difficulties
Other Words from insuperable Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about insuperable

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Other Words from insuperable

insuperably \ (ËŒ)in-​ˈsü-​p(É™-​)rÉ™-​blÄ“ How to pronounce insuperably (audio) \ adverb

Did You Know?

Insuperable first appeared in print in the 14th century, and it still means now approximately what it did then. "Insuperable" is a close synonym to "insurmountable." In Latin, superare means "to go over, surmount, overcome, or excel." The Latin word insuperabilis was formed by combining the common prefix in- (meaning "not" or "un-") with "superare" plus "abilis" ("able"). Hence insuperabilis means "unable to be surmounted, overcome, or passed over," or more simply, "insurmountable." The word insuperabilis was later anglicized as "insuperable." Related words such as "superable," "superably," and even "superableness" have also found a place in English.

Examples of insuperable in a Sentence

the building project ran into insuperable financial difficulties and had to be scrapped insuperable problems have arisen which make it very unlikely that we will ever finish this project

Recent Examples on the Web

 As long as there have been physicists, there have been physicists who worry their field has come up against an insuperable barrier. — George Musser, Scientific American, "The Search for Truth in Physics," 25 Aug. 2019 None of this is to say that segregation is necessarily an insuperable obstacle to educational excellence. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Democratic candidates’ school integration plans, explained," 3 July 2019 Mr Vala decided that the BJP should indeed have the first go at proving a majority in the state assembly, despite the apparently insuperable arithmetic. — The Economist, "A series of reversals forces India’s newest chief minister from office," 19 May 2018 In spite of their insuperable aura, black hat hackers don't all need to be at the very pinnacle of their field. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "Yes, Even Elite Hackers Make Dumb Mistakes," 25 Mar. 2018 None of this is to say that segregation is necessarily an insuperable obstacle to educational excellence. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Democratic candidates’ school integration plans, explained," 3 July 2019 Welles, who died in 1985, never finished editing his film; legal and financial problems proved insuperable. — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "At Telluride, Peak Experiences on Screen," 6 Sep. 2018 Mr Vala decided that the BJP should indeed have the first go at proving a majority in the state assembly, despite the apparently insuperable arithmetic. — The Economist, "A series of reversals forces India’s newest chief minister from office," 19 May 2018 In spite of their insuperable aura, black hat hackers don't all need to be at the very pinnacle of their field. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "Yes, Even Elite Hackers Make Dumb Mistakes," 25 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insuperable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of insuperable

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for insuperable

Middle English, from Latin insuperabilis, from in- + superare to surmount, from super over — more at over

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More Definitions for insuperable

insuperable

adjective
How to pronounce insuperable (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of insuperable

formal, of a problem, difficulty, etc. : impossible to solve or get control of : impossible to overcome

See the full definition for insuperable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on insuperable

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for insuperable

Spanish Central: Translation of insuperable

Nglish: Translation of insuperable for Spanish Speakers

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