What does indivisibleness mean?
Indivisibleness is a formal noun meaning the quality of being indivisible: impossible or inappropriate to divide into smaller parts. It is most often associated with philosophical or scientific discussions of matter, atoms, and indivisible units, but it can also describe legal, political, or practical matters that cannot sensibly be separated. For example, a court may refer to the indivisibleness of a contract, while a theory of physics may depend on the indivisibleness of its basic units. The word sounds more specialized and less common than indivisibility, which is normally preferred in modern prose. It is especially useful when a speaker wants to emphasize the abstract quality of inseparability rather than the inability of a particular object to be divided.
nounThe quality of being indivisible, or incapable of being divided into smaller parts. It can also refer to something that cannot appropriately be separated or divided.
- The quality of being indivisible or impossible to divide into smaller parts.
"The indivisibleness of the contract made it impossible to transfer individual obligations."
"The indivisibleness of the smallest particles remained central to the old atomic theory."
"The court considered the indivisibleness of the joint tenancy when deciding how the property should pass."
The plural is grammatically regular but very rare.
"The scholar contrasted the indivisiblenesses of abstract concepts with the divisibility of physical bodies."
Indivisibleness names the point at which separation itself becomes impossible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does indivisibleness come from?
Indivisibleness was formed in English from indivisible, which combines the Latin prefix in- with dividere, meaning “to separate” or “to divide.” The resulting adjective entered English in the early 17th century, in contexts involving philosophy and mathematics as well as physical substances. The noun now denotes the abstract quality expressed by that adjective, and it shares its Latin root with words such as division, dividend, and divisor.
Related word forms
How indivisibleness is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon noun. In most contexts, indivisibility is more idiomatic, especially in discussions of matter, law, philosophy, and mathematics.
Easily confused with indivisibleness
Indivisibility is the standard term for the abstract quality of being indivisible, while indivisibleness is a less common noun formed directly from the adjective.