What does incorrigibility mean?
Incorrigibility is the noun form of incorrigible, meaning stubborn resistance to correction, instruction, or reform. It describes a quality of character rather than a single act: a person whose mistakes repeatedly go unaddressed may be described as showing remarkable incorrigibility, while a child who repeatedly refuses to behave can be described with the same term, often humorously. The word is especially common in formal, literary, historical, and political contexts, but it can be applied conversationally with exaggeration. Its force comes from the contrast between an obvious need for change and an apparent inability or unwillingness to change. Because it focuses on persistent resistance rather than momentary disobedience, incorrigibility is stronger and more categorical than mere stubbornness. It can also denote a general tendency toward misconduct, especially in older uses. The related adjective incorrigible and adverb incorrigibly appear regularly in the same contexts.
nounThe quality of being incorrigible, especially of being stubbornly resistant to correction or reform. It can also refer to an irrepressible tendency to misbehave.
- The state or quality of being stubborn and resistant to correction or reform.
- A persistent, irrepressible tendency toward wrongdoing or mischief.
"His incorrigibility made every attempt at reform seem futile."
"The prisoners' incorrigibility made the new rehabilitation program appear ineffective."
"Her incorrigibility as a practical joker occasionally worried her family."
Incorrigibility is what Napoleon meant when he claimed that a certain kind of genius is only a prolonged patience—and also what mothers may mean when they call a child impossible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does incorrigibility come from?
The word comes from the Latin incorrigibilis, meaning “not capable of being corrected,” formed with the prefix in- meaning “not” and corrigibilis, derived from corrigere, “to correct” or “set right.” English borrowed the Latin-derived form during the early 17th century. The same Latin root also produced English words such as correction, corrective, and corrigible, which express the related idea of setting something right or being amenable to correction.
Related word forms
How incorrigibility is actually used
Usually formal or literary. It is more often used to describe persistent behavior or character than to describe a specific act, and it can sound humorously exaggerated in informal contexts.
Easily confused with incorrigibility
Incorrigibility is the noun meaning the state of being stubbornly resistant to correction, while incorrigible is the adjective describing someone or something that cannot be corrected or reformed.