Immutable
/ɪˈmjuːtəbl/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Immutable describes something that does not change at all over time. It is often used to talk about rules, facts, or qualities that stay exactly the same and cannot be altered.
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See It in Action
Cannot be changed or altered
- •The laws of physics are considered immutable.
- •His opinion seemed immutable, no matter how much we argued.
- •Some traditions are immutable and passed down for generations.
Fixed and permanent in nature
- •The immutable truth is that time moves forward.
- •The constitution contains some immutable rights for citizens.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "immutable" like "fixed" or "same," but much stronger—it means absolutely no change is possible.
- ✓Picture a mountain that stands tall and does not move or change, no matter the weather.
- ✓It's the feeling when you know a rule will never be broken or a fact will always be true.
- ✓Sounds like "I'm-mute-able" → Imagine someone who cannot be made silent or changed, always the same voice.
- ✓Think of the laws of nature, like gravity, that are always true and never change.
- ✓NOT like "changeable" (can be changed), "immutable" means no change at all.
- ✓NOT like "temporary" (lasting a short time), "immutable" means permanent and forever.
- ✓NOT like "flexible" (can bend or adjust), "immutable" is completely rigid and fixed.
Try Other Words
- •Unchangeable: cannot be changed (Use when you want a simple word for something that stays the same)
- •Permanent: lasting forever (Use when emphasizing long time without change)
- •Constant: always the same (Use when something does not vary or move)
- •Invariable: never changing (Use in formal or scientific contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix "im-" means "not" or "without"
- •Root "mut" comes from Latin "mutare," meaning "to change"
- •Suffix "-able" means "able to be"
- •Together, "immutable" means "not able to be changed"
- •From Latin "immutabilis," first used in English in the 1600s
- •Used today in science, philosophy, and everyday language to describe things that do not change
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of any rules or facts in your life that feel immutable? Why do they seem unchangeable?
•How does knowing that some things are immutable help us understand the world better?
Fill in the blanks
1.The law of gravity is immutable, so objects ___ fall no matter what.
2.When someone has an immutable opinion, it is very hard to ___ their mind.
3.Unlike flexible rules, immutable rules ___ never be broken or changed.
4.In many stories, some truths are described as immutable and ___ forever.
5.The teacher explained that some facts are immutable, meaning they cannot be ___.
6.If a rule is immutable, people must ___ to it without exceptions.
7.Scientists study immutable laws because they explain things that ___ always true.