indemonstrable

IPA/ˌɪn.dɪˈmɒn.strə.bəl/
IPA/ˌɪn.dɪˈmɑːn.strə.bəl/

indemonstrable — adjective

  • indemonstrablepositive
  • more indemonstrablecomparative
  • most indemonstrablesuperlative

1. not possible to prove true, because the evidence or logical reasoning needed is

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

not possible to prove true, because the evidence or logical reasoning needed is not available

Example

Soraya argued that basic moral beliefs are indemonstrable since they rest on values, not facts.

predicative: be + indemonstrable + since-clause

Devika could not prove her claim about the old temple; the facts were indemonstrable long ago.

Common collocations
  • indemonstrable claim
  • indemonstrable proposition
  • indemonstrable assumption
  • indemonstrable principle
  • remain indemonstrable
  • prove indemonstrable
Synonyms
  • unprovable

    identical in meaning but much more common; 'unprovable' is neutral in register while 'indemonstrable' is markedly formal

  • unverifiable

    focuses on the inability to check or test a claim rather than to prove it logically; common in scientific contexts

  • unsubstantiated

    means lacking supporting evidence, but does not imply that proof is impossible in principle — only that it has not been provided yet

Antonyms
  • demonstrable

    direct opposite; a claim that can be shown to be true through evidence or reasoning

  • provable

    more common synonym of demonstrable; neutral register

  • verifiable

    can be checked or tested for truth

Grammar Patterns

it + be + indemonstrable + that-clause

noun + be + indemonstrable

indemonstrable + noun

Usage Note

Frequently found in academic writing about philosophy, logic, law, or mathematics. The word is far less common than its opposite demonstrable. A claim that is indemonstrable cannot be proved in principle, not merely because the evidence happens to be missing.

Common Mistakes

His explanation is indemonstrable, so he must be lying.
His explanation is indemonstrable, meaning it can neither be proved nor disproved given the available evidence.
Indemonstrable does not imply falsehood; it refers to the impossibility of proof, not to the truth or honesty of the claim.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three synonyms refer to a claim that cannot be confirmed, but they differ in the reason why. 'Unprovable' is the closest match to 'indemonstrable' — both describe something that cannot be proved true in principle, often in logic or mathematics. 'Unverifiable' shifts the focus to testing and checking: a historical claim may be unverifiable because the witnesses are gone, not because it is logically impossible to prove. 'Unsubstantiated' is weaker still: it means no evidence has been offered, but the claim might well be true and provable once evidence appears. Use 'indemonstrable' when you want a formal, academic tone; use 'unprovable' for everyday contexts. For example: 'The physicist showed that the conjecture was indemonstrable within the axioms of the theory.' But: 'Her complaints about the service were unsubstantiated, and the restaurant manager dismissed them.'

unprovable ↗unverifiable ↗unsubstantiated ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • remain indemonstrable
  • prove indemonstrable

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

Comes from Latin 'indēmonstrābilis', formed by adding the negative prefix 'in-' to 'dēmonstrābilis' (demonstrable). The Latin 'dēmonstrāre' means 'to point out, to show', from 'de-' (completely) + 'monstrāre' (to show). The word entered English in the mid-1600s through scholarly Latin, used mainly in philosophy and theology to describe propositions that cannot be proved from first principles.

First known use

1570

1570, in the meaning defined above