What does incurable mean?
Incurable is an adjective meaning that something cannot be cured, corrected, or eliminated. In medicine, it commonly describes a disease or condition for which no treatment can remove the underlying cause, although treatment may still help manage symptoms or improve the person's quality of life. The word can also be used figuratively for habits, attitudes, problems, and systems that are so persistent that they appear impossible to change, as in “an incurable optimist” or “incurably bureaucratic.” It is more emphatic than simply saying that something is serious or difficult, because it presents the problem as beyond remedy. The related adverb is incurably, and the noun incurability names the state or quality of being incurable.
adjectiveIncurable means impossible to cure or eliminate. It can also describe a person, condition, or situation that is difficult or impossible to remedy.
- Incapable of being cured or eliminated
- So deeply established or entrenched that it cannot be changed or remedied
"The doctor said that the disease was incurable, but treatment could still ease its symptoms."
"Her incurable curiosity led her to study the history of nearly every building in the town."
"The company is attempting to address an incurably bureaucratic approval process."
"Although the condition is incurable, the treatment can reduce pain and improve quality of life."
Incurable is not the same as untreatable: a condition can be incurable yet still benefit from treatment that manages its symptoms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does incurable come from?
Incurable comes from Latin incurabilis, formed from the prefix in-, meaning “not,” and curare, “to care for” or “to heal.” It entered English in the early 17th century in the sense “not capable of being healed or remedied.” Its cognate relatives include curable, curative, and curator, all connected with the same Latin root associated with care and treatment.
Related word forms
How incurable is actually used
The word is commonly used in medical contexts, but it is also widely used figuratively. In medical writing, incurable should be distinguished from terminal: a condition may be incurable without being immediately fatal. The figurative use often conveys that something is deeply rooted and exceptionally difficult to change.
Easily confused with incurable
Incurable is an adjective describing something that cannot be cured, while incurred is the past tense of incur, meaning to experience or bring upon oneself something such as a cost or consequence.
Incurable describes a condition that cannot be cured, whereas terminal describes a condition that leads to death and may sometimes be treatable.