invincible
Meaning
impossible to defeat or overcome; unconquerable.
(of a belief or attitude) unshakable.
Structure
Usage
the team seemed invincible throughout the championship season.
his invincible optimism helped him through many difficult times.
the fortress was once thought to be invincible.
Etymology
the word 'invincible' has a direct lineage from latin invincibilis, which itself is formed from the negative prefix in- and the verb vincere, meaning 'to conquer'. the root vincere is believed to derive from the proto-indo-european root weik-, meaning 'to fight, to conquer', which also gives us words like 'victory' and 'convince'. the suffix -ibilis creates an adjective meaning 'able to be'. thus, the literal construction 'not able to be conquered' has remained semantically intact from its latin origins into modern english, where it describes an unbeatable entity or an unshakeable conviction.
Analysis
in- (latin origin, a prefix meaning 'not'); vinc (from latin vincere, meaning 'to conquer'); -ible (latin suffix -ibilis, meaning 'capable of, able to be').