unalienable

adjective

un·​alien·​able ˌən-ˈāl-yə-nə-bəl How to pronounce unalienable (audio)
-ˈā-lē-ə-
: impossible to take away or give up : inalienable
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.United States Declaration of Independence
… it's hard to say whether the partisan noise could influence an election, or whether it's New York simply exercising its unalienable right to be New York.Audra D. S. Burch

Examples of unalienable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web We are based on a set of uncommon ideas—that all people are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. TIME, 9 Jan. 2024 That we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. Noah Rothman, National Review, 10 Nov. 2023 One year later, on July 4, 1776, the U.S. would declare independence, becoming the first nation-state founded on the principles of unalienable natural rights. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023 This is taught to us from the early days, an unalienable truth, a simple fact of life, like pooping. Doug Demuro, Robb Report, 4 July 2023 There is one obvious explanation: The exaggerations of popcorn horror pull from the real world, and in America—where life, liberty, and the pursuit of guns is one’s unalienable right—there is a specific bloodlust to see Black people scrubbed from the story. WIRED, 16 June 2023 From the earliest embryonic stage to the very end of life, each and every human being is a person and a bearer of fundamental dignity and an unalienable right to life. Jeff Bradford, National Review, 15 June 2023 Freedom of the press — what most Americans assume to be an unalienable right guaranteed by the First Amendment ever since it was ratified back in 1791 — does not, in fact, apply to everyone living within the United States. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2023 As the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence reminds us, the pursuit of happiness is one of our unalienable rights, alongside life and liberty. Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 16 Nov. 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unalienable was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near unalienable

Cite this Entry

“Unalienable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unalienable. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unalienable

adjective
un·​alien·​able ˌən-ˈāl-yə-nə-bəl How to pronounce unalienable (audio)
-ˈā-lē-ə-nə-

Legal Definition

unalienable

adjective
: not alienable : inalienable
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