adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l/
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒɪb(ə)l/
General-American:/ɪnˈkɔɹɪd͡ʒəb(ə)l/
General-American:/ɪnˈkɔɹəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N K AA1 R AH0 JH AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Defective and impossible to materially correct or set aright.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The construction flaw is incorrigible; any attempt to amend it would cause a complete collapse.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Unmanageable; impervious to correction by punishment or pain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
an incorrigible youth
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Incurably depraved; not reformable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
His dark soul was too incorrigible to repent, even at his execution.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Unchangeably established in a belief or habit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Intrinsically incapable of being corrected; impossible to disprove, by its very nature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
Examples
The statement "My knee hurts" is incorrigible.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Impossible to cure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
An incorrigibly bad person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The incorrigibles in the prison population are either lifers or habitual reoffenders.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective
Meaning 8
impervious to correction by punishment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: corrigible
History
Etymology
From Middle English incorrigible, from Middle French incorrigible (1334), or directly from Latin incorrigibilis (“not to be corrected”), from in- (“not”) + corrigere (“to correct”) + -ibilis (“-able”), equivalent to in- + corrigible. Recorded since 1340.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
непоправим
(nepopravim)
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Dutch:
onverbeterbaar
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Dutch:
onherstelbaar
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
German:
unverbesserbar
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Macedonian:
непоправлив
(nepopravliv)
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Māori:
ngākau totoa
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Portuguese:
incorrigível
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Russian:
неисправи́мый
(neispravímyj)
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Spanish:
incorregible
— defective and materially impossible to correct or set aright
Arabic:
عَنِيد
(ʕanīd)
— incurably depraved
Danish:
uforbederlig
— incurably depraved
Dutch:
onverbeterlijk
— incurably depraved
Esperanto:
nekorektebla
— incurably depraved
Galician:
incorrixible
— incurably depraved
German:
unverbesserlich
— incurably depraved
Igbo:
mmekwata
— incurably depraved
Middle English:
incorrigible
— incurably depraved
Portuguese:
incorrigível
— incurably depraved
Shona:
kuchinja
— incurably depraved
Slovak:
nenapraviteľný
— incurably depraved
Spanish:
empecatado
— incurably depraved
Swedish:
oförbätterlig
— incurably depraved
Welsh:
anniwygiadwy
— incurably depraved
Bulgarian:
непоправим
(nepopravim)
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Dutch:
onverbeterlijk
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Finnish:
auttamaton
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
German:
unverbesserlich
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Macedonian:
непоправлив
(nepopravliv)
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Portuguese:
incorrigível
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Spanish:
incorregible
— impervious to correction by punishment or pain
Dutch:
onverbeterbaar
— determined, unalterable
Dutch:
onveranderlijk
— determined, unalterable
German:
unverbesserlich
— determined, unalterable
Māori:
ngākau totoa
— determined, unalterable
Spanish:
incorregible
— determined, unalterable
Bulgarian:
неизлечим
(neizlečim)
— incurable
Macedonian:
неизлечив
(neizlečiv)
— incurable
Russian:
неизлечи́мый
(neizlečímyj)
— incurable
Dutch:
onverbeterlijke
— an incorrigibly bad individual
French:
incorrigible
— an incorrigibly bad individual
Macedonian:
непоправник
(nepopravnik)
— an incorrigibly bad individual
Māori:
ngākau totoa
— an incorrigibly bad individual
