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invincibilis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word invincibilis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 160–220 Tertullian More words from the 2nd century
Ultimate origin
Latin vincō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin invincibilis
English invincible

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪn.wɪŋˈkɪ.bɪ.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [iɱ.vin̠ʲˈt͡ʃiː.bi.lis][1]

Forms

invincibilis (neuter invincibile); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in-2 + vincibilis (“conquerable”).[1][2][3] The adjective is formed on vincō (“to conquer”).[2] Conte labels the word Late Latin.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tertullian (c. 160–220) first has it, in his treatise against Hermogenes, calling an evil invincible and insurmountable: invincibile et insuperabile malum.[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

In Late and Ecclesiastical Latin it meant invincible or unconquerable.[6][7] Medieval writers used it of persons, armies and nations, weapons and places: Bede tells of a band which, joined to the troops sent before, made the army invincible.[8] The MLW adds the senses irrefutable, irreparable and immense.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian calls an evil invincible.[4][2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. invincible, unconquerable.[4][5][6]
  2. irrefutable, unanswerable.[4][9]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Irreparable; immense, excessive.[9]

Usage notes

Lewis & Short cite Apuleius' Apology for the sense “irrefutable”, but Georges notes that the passage is now read as vincibilia.[4][5] Lewis & Short also give the adverb invincibiliter “irrefutably” from Apuleius' Florida.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Invincibilis.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/invincibilis. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·