Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INCONTROVERTIBLE
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
INCONTROVERTIBLE:
Say it "IN con truh VERT uh bull."
Or, if you prefer, "in CON truh VERT uh bull."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
At six syllables, the word incontrovertible outbulks even its five-syllable synonym une______al.
Can you recall that one? It means "so clear and definite that no one could misinterpret it." Or more literally, "not able to be interpreted as having given equal voice to opposing ideas."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Let's start with "controversy," a word with Latin bits that mean "something turned against." A controversy is an ongoing fight or argument between people with different opinions.
And something controversial riles people up and makes them argue.
"Controversy" and "controversial" are very common words. Here's a rare one: "controvert." To controvert something is to turn it into a controversy, or to say that it's wrong: to argue against it, to debate it with your own clashing opinion.
That leads us to a rare adjective: "controvertible." Something controvertible can be questioned, debated, and argued about. In other words, controvertible ideas and opinions are open to discussion, and open for debate.
Finally, that leads us to the semi-common adjective "incontrovertible." Something incontrovertible is perfectly true, clear, right, correct, or factual. You can't even argue against it or form an opinion against it. It doesn't spark controversy--or, at least, it shouldn't.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "these incontrovertible facts;" "They offered incontrovertible evidence."
Other forms:
There's the verb, "controvert," and its other forms, "controverted" and "controverting." Because these are so rare and odd-looking, I suggest using "contradict" instead.
The noun, "controversy," can be either countable ("It's yet another controversy") or uncountable ("They're just trying to stir up controversy;" "I'm not the first king of controversy" [Eminem]).
Like I mentioned above, "controversial" is the adjective meaning "full of, or stirring up, many opinionated fights or debates;" and "controvertible" is the rare adjective meaning "open for debate."
If you need some adverbs, you can use "controvertibly" and "incontrovertibly."
And if you need some nouns for those qualities, you can use "controvertibility" and "incontrovertibility."
how to use it:
Pick the formal, sophisticated, extra-long word "incontrovertible" when you need to practically pound the table with your fist as you insist that something can't be denied.
You might talk about incontrovertible facts, proof, truth, evidence, statements, theories, conclusions, etc.
examples:
"It is an incontrovertible fact that we live and we inevitably die."
— Jen Doll, New York Times, 13 April 2021
"One of the most recognizable and highly trusted brands for many parents is the Environmental Working Group, or EWG... I frequently relied on their first 'Dirty Dozen' list to tell me when I should buy organic and avoid those dangerous pesticides dripping from my 'dirty' conventional produce. Like so many other parents, I just assumed the EWG's recommendations were incontrovertible."
— Jenny Splitter, Salon, 7 February 2016
has this page helped you understand "incontrovertible"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "incontrovertible" without saying "undeniable" or "unquestionable."
try it out:
In East of Eden, Steinbeck wrote: "Most liars are tripped up either because they forget what they have told or because the lie is suddenly faced with an incontrovertible truth."
Talk about what he means. Could you give an example of a lie someone told, followed by the incontrovertible truth that tripped up the liar (or should have)?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Codenames MYP." You can play it with a partner or by yourself. It's loosely based on the fantastic game Codenames Duet.
Check out the words in the grid. Ignore the colors; they're just the ones I had on hand.
If you’re playing with a partner, pick any 2 or 3 terms from the grid, and give your partner a one-word clue to help them guess your terms--without stumbling onto any that you didn't pick. Your partner can do the same for you. No hints! Just say your clue word and the number of terms it should point toward.
If you're playing solo, try to guess 3 terms in the grid by using this clue: "natural." To see these answers, scroll all the way down.
If you need any definitions, give these a click:
chaff, manacle, behemoth,
chrysalis, labyrinth, juggernaut,
colonnade, nettle, amulet.
review this word:
A. ADJUSTABLE.
B. CONTESTABLE.
C. SUGGESTIBLE.
2.
The Onion joked: "Biologists... obtained incontrovertible _____."
A. surmisings that the modern dog may have descended from an ancient aquatic sausage
B. proof of evolution after finally capturing footage of a chimpanzee transforming into a human
C. commentary on why 80 percent of the world's oceans continue to be a complete and utter snooze
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
At six syllables, the word incontrovertible outbulks even its five-syllable synonym une______al.
Let's start with "controversy," a word with Latin bits that mean "something turned against." A controversy is an ongoing fight or argument between people with different opinions.
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, sophisticated, extra-long word "incontrovertible" when you need to practically pound the table with your fist as you insist that something can't be denied.
"It is an incontrovertible fact that we live and we inevitably die."
Explain the meaning of "incontrovertible" without saying "undeniable" or "unquestionable."
In East of Eden, Steinbeck wrote: "Most liars are tripped up either because they forget what they have told or because the lie is suddenly faced with an incontrovertible truth."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |
