imponderable

adjective

im·​pon·​der·​a·​ble (ˌ)im-ˈpän-d(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce imponderable (audio)
: not ponderable : incapable of being weighed or evaluated with exactness
the imponderable beauties of Beethoven's … sonatasCecelia Porter
imponderable noun
imponderably adverb

Examples of imponderable in a Sentence

the imponderable vastness of space
Recent Examples on the Web The wealth of data collected under the 702 program is imponderable. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2023 And underneath all that would be something very imponderable, thrilling, heavy, and challenging. Vulture, 17 July 2023 In essence, the slow process of the plates cooling to bedrock, like the evolution of biological life itself, responds to an activity of unsettlingly imponderable and cataclysmic scale. Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023 For both America and the demonstrators so hopeful of fundamental change during the Arab Spring, there remains an imponderable: Could another similar wave of popular unrest surge again? Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Apr. 2023 Already delayed, the Tour de France sets off Saturday, Aug. 28, shrouded in uncertainty, flying in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the imponderable question of how many of the 176 riders will avoid infection and endure three exceptionally tough weeks of racing to reach the finish in Paris. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 29 Aug. 2020 Another imponderable is how much lower gas prices would be if Britain produced more itself. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Gas rationing is part of Berlin’s emergency plan, but prioritizing among competing users is proving to be an imponderable. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 23 June 2022 Yet the largest, and most delicate, imponderable is how Mr. Putin will respond to the allies’ determination to help the Ukrainians prevail. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imponderable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin imponderabilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin ponderabilis ponderable

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imponderable was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near imponderable

Cite this Entry

“Imponderable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imponderable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

imponderable

adjective
im·​pon·​der·​a·​ble (ˈ)im-ˈpän-d(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce imponderable (audio)
: not able to have the importance, strength, or value figured out
an imponderable mystery
imponderable noun

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