inimitably
- adverb
- /ˌɪnɪˈmɪtəblɪ/
- On the TV, Dr. Pretorius (played by Ernest Thesiger) delivers a toast with inimitably ripe enunciation: "To a new world of gods and monsters!"
- in an inimitably unique way
Examples
-
But they are so odd, so peculiar, that the music comes out twisted, warped, and wonderfully and inimitably their own.
Fiction book (1997) -
"This carpet is your father," Abby had always declared in her inimitably buoyant British way, and indeed Kevin was elegantly subtle.
Fiction book (1992) -
The driver had been beautiful, lined with date palms of an ageless grace, their white trunks so inimitably a sign of Karachi's centuries, trees of an elegance that the marble upon which we stepped could not dream to replicate.
Academic text (1992) -
The outputs of these and related physical processes manifest as inimitably stunning spatial arrangements of landforms and land covers, from the soaring Rocky Mountains and their dense forests to the twisted canyons of the Southwest.
Academic text (2018) -
Her inimitably fresh perspective transformed the project into something truly unique.
-
The artist captures emotions in an inimitably beautiful way that resonates with everyone.
-
He spoke in an inimitably engaging style that kept the audience captivated throughout the lecture.
Synonyms
In a way that is very surprising and hard to believe
To a much higher level than usual
To a much higher level than usual
To a very great degree
Much better than anything else
In a way that is much better than usual
So great that you cannot measure it
In a way that cannot be repeated exactly
How Exceptional
Surface Forms
Morphology
inimitably = inimitable (transparent) = in + imitate + able + ly
The adverb is formed regularly from the adjective 'inimitable' with '-ly' and keeps the same meaning.
Etymology
Inimitably is built from in- meaning 'not', the root imitate meaning 'to copy', and -able meaning 'can be'. So inimitably means 'not able to be copied', which is why we use it to say something is 'unique' or 'exceptional'.