ineradicable

IPA/ˌɪnɪˈrædɪkəbl/
KK[ˌɪnɚˈædəkˌʌbəl]IPA/ˌɪnɪˈrædɪkəbl/

ineradicable — adjective

  • ineradicablepositive
  • more ineradicablecomparative
  • most ineradicablesuperlative

1. describes a belief, habit, feeling, or quality that has become so deeply fixed i

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a belief, habit, feeling, or quality that has become so deeply fixed in a person, group, or place that no effort, time, or argument seems able to get rid of it.

Example

Ingrid's love of the Norwegian coastline proved ineradicable, even after thirty years in Tokyo.

ineradicable + abstract emotional noun (love)

The smell of old smoke in the village pub seemed ineradicable, despite three deep cleanings.

predicative: be ineradicable + concession clause

Common collocations
  • ineradicable belief
  • ineradicable prejudice
  • ineradicable habit
  • ineradicable stain
  • ineradicable memory
  • deeply ineradicable
Synonyms
  • indelible

    Often interchangeable; 'indelible' suggests a mark or impression that lasts, while 'ineradicable' stresses resistance to being removed.

  • ingrained

    Less formal; describes habits or attitudes that have become part of someone over time.

  • deep-rooted

    Everyday alternative for beliefs, problems, or feelings.

  • permanent

    Much more common and neutral; 'ineradicable' adds the sense of resistance to active removal.

Antonyms
  • removable

    Plain everyday opposite for physical marks or installed things.

  • superficial

    Opposite for beliefs or feelings that are easily changed.

  • transient

    Opposite for impressions or moods that fade quickly.

Grammar Patterns

ineradicable + abstract noun

be ineradicable

Usage Note

Subject is typically an abstract noun naming something deeply rooted: a belief, habit, prejudice, memory, fear, smell, or stain. Strongly formal — in everyday speech, Taiwanese learners will hear 'impossible to get rid of' or 'permanent' instead.

Common Mistakes

The pen mark on my hand is ineradicable.
The pen mark on my hand won't come off.
'ineradicable' is too formal and final for small everyday marks; reserve it for deep, lasting things.
Asher has an ineradicable headache.
Asher has a constant headache.
physical pain that returns is not 'ineradicable'; the word suggests something deeply rooted, not merely persistent.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe something that lasts and resists removal, but the register and typical subject differ. 'Ineradicable' is the most formal; it suggests an active effort to remove that has failed — common with prejudice, belief, habit, or a physical stain. 'Indelible' originally describes ink that cannot be erased, so it works best for marks and lasting impressions: an indelible memory of a wedding. 'Ingrained' focuses on how something became part of a person or culture over time — ingrained habits, ingrained attitudes — and feels more neutral. 'Deep-rooted' is the everyday choice for problems, fears, or beliefs and sounds natural in spoken English: a deep-rooted fear of dogs. Use 'ineradicable' in serious or written contexts; pick 'deep-rooted' or 'ingrained' in conversation.

ineradicable ↗indelible ↗ingrained ↗deep-rooted ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • prove ineradicable
  • remain ineradicable

Prepositions

  • in [someone]
  • from [a place/group]

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed in English in the early 1800s from the prefix 'in-' meaning 'not', plus 'eradicable' meaning 'able to be uprooted'. The root traces back to Latin 'eradicare', literally 'to tear up by the roots' (from 'e-' meaning 'out' + 'radix' meaning 'root'). So the literal sense is 'cannot be torn out by the roots' — a vivid image of trying and failing to pull up a deeply planted thing.