impermissible
UK[ˌɪmpəˈmɪsəbl]US[ˌɪmpərˈmɪsəbl]
adj
Not permitted or allowed.
Morpheme Breakdown
im
permiss
ible
im
not
permiss
allow
ible
capable of
Etymology
The word "impermissible" is a modern legal and formal term constructed from classical Latin elements. Its core, the verb permittere, combines per- ("through") and mittere ("to send"), literally conveying the idea of sending through or letting pass, which evolved into the abstract sense of granting allowance. The negative prefix in- (assimilated to im- before 'p') was attached to form the opposite, a common practice in Latin. Finally, the adjectival suffix -ibilis was added, creating a word that literally means "not capable of being allowed," a meaning that has remained consistent in its modern usage to describe something formally forbidden.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + permiss (allow) + ible (capable of)
- im: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "not" or "without".
- permiss: From Latin permiss-, the stem of permittere, meaning "to allow, let through".
- ible: Latin suffix -ibilis, meaning "capable of, able to be", forming adjectives.
Examples
The use of cell phones is impermissible during the examination.
The judge ruled that the evidence was impermissible in court.
Such a severe punishment was considered impermissible under international law.