inexplicable
/ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/
inexplicable means impossible to explain; not easily accounted for. It carries an Arena rating of 1446, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, inexplicable ranks #1,230 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,916 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #2,056 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #8,844 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
inexplicable is pronounced /ˌɪn.ɪkˈsplɪ.kə.bl̩/.
Why “inexplicable” is a great word
Impossible to explain, interpret, or account for. From Middle English inexplicable, from Middle French inexplicable, from Latin inexplicābilis, from in- ("not") + explicābilis ("explicable, that can be unfolded or unraveled"). Unlike "unexplainable," which may neutrally denote a current lack of answers, or "mysterious," which suggests a tantalizing, perhaps solvable secret, "inexplicable" is a final verdict, a shutting of the door. It is the precise, unaccountable chill in a sunlit room; the sudden, unmotivated kindness from a lifelong adversary; the silent, shared glance between strangers that carries the weight of a forgotten dream. These are the moments that sit in consciousness like stones, refusing to dissolve into meaning—the world insisting on a private logic just beyond the reach of words.
Etymology
From Middle English inexplicable, from Middle French inexplicable, from Latin inexplicābilis, from in- (“not”) + explicābilis (“explicable”). By surface analysis, in- + explicable.
adj
- Impossible to explain; not easily accounted for.e.g.“The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.” — 1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in [anonymous], transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; […], James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo[rge] M[urray] Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:
noun
- Something that is impossible to explain.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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