inalienable
UK/ɪn'eɪlɪənəb(ə)l/US/in'eiljәnәbl/
GREB1
Definitions
adj.
Impossible to take away or transfer; belonging to someone by inherent right
不可剥夺的；不可转让的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin-not, opposite of
+
-ento put into, to cause
+
-ablecapable of, worthy of
=inalienable
in- ('not') + alienable ('transferable') = cannot be made another's. Rights so fundamental they can never be taken away or signed over — life, liberty, dignity.
Root ali still carries 27 more wordsWhy It Means This
Most famous from the US Declaration of Independence — though Jefferson's draft actually used the variant 'unalienable.' Both spellings mean the same thing; 'inalienable' is the more standard modern form.
Common Collocations
- 1.inalienable right不可剥夺的权利
- 2.inalienable freedom不可剥夺的自由
Example Sentences
- 1.
Freedom of speech is regarded as an inalienable right.
- 2.
These protections are inalienable and cannot be waived.