immutable

IPA/ɪˈmjuːtəbl/
KK[ˌɪmjˈutəbəl]IPA/ɪˈmjuːtəbl/

immutable — adjective

  • immutablepositive
  • more immutablecomparative
  • most immutablesuperlative

1. An immutable quality, rule, or situation stays the same forever and nothing can

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

An immutable quality, rule, or situation stays the same forever and nothing can make it different.

Example

The laws of physics are not immutable — scientists sometimes find exceptions.

be immutable; used with negation to show the concept is not always absolute

Fumi thought the school dress code was immutable until the principal updated it.

Common collocations
  • immutable law
  • immutable fact
  • immutable principle
  • immutable truth
Synonyms
  • unchangeable

    more common in everyday English; less technical than immutable

  • fixed

    broader meaning; can also mean repaired or in a set position

  • unchanging

    describes the observable result rather than the inability to change

  • permanent

    focuses on lasting a long time, not necessarily resistance to change

Antonyms
  • mutable

    the direct formal opposite; common in scientific writing

  • changeable

    more everyday opposite

Grammar Patterns

be immutable

remain immutable

immutable [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal, academic, or legal writing. The subject is usually an abstract concept (law, principle, fact, rule) rather than a physical object.

Common Mistakes

The ancient rules are immortal.
The ancient rules are immutable.
'immortal' means never dying (living forever); 'immutable' means never changing.
This chair is immutable.
This wooden chair is permanent.
'immutable' is rarely used for physical objects; use 'permanent' or 'long-lasting' instead.

Word family

  • immutably
    adverbC2
  • immutability
    nounC2
  • mutable
    adjectiveC1
  • mutate
    verbB2
  • mutation
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something that does not alter, but they differ in emphasis and register. Immutable is the most formal and carries a sense of absolute, inherent resistance to change — it is the preferred term in philosophy, law, and science. Unchangeable is less formal and more concrete; a person might call a stubborn rule unchangeable but would rarely call it immutable outside of formal writing. Fixed often implies a deliberate decision to keep something the same (a fixed price, a fixed routine) and can also mean 'repaired'. Permanent emphasises duration rather than resistance to change — a permanent job lasts indefinitely but could theoretically be changed. Unchanging describes what is observed to stay the same, without commenting on whether change is possible. For example: 'The company's core values are immutable' (cannot be altered by anyone) vs 'The view from the window is unchanging' (it happens to stay the same).

immutable ↗unchangeablefixed ↗permanent ↗unchanging ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • absolutely immutable
  • seemingly immutable
  • not immutable

Phrases

  • immutable in the face of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'immutabilis', formed from 'in-' (not) and 'mutabilis' (changeable), which comes from 'mutare' (to change). The same root gives us 'mutation', 'mutate', and 'mutable'. The word entered English in the late 1400s through French influence.