What does inimical mean?
Inimical is a formal adjective meaning hostile, unfriendly, or actively opposed to someone or something. It can describe personal conduct, as when a person is deliberately antagonistic, but it is especially common when discussing policies, systems, forces, or conditions considered harmful to an institution or principle. The phrase “inimical to” is particularly productive: secrecy may be described as inimical to transparency, and extremism as inimical to social stability. Inimical carries a stronger and more deliberate sense than merely “unpleasant,” often implying opposition, damage, or active hostility. The word is also related etymologically to “amicable,” “amiable,” “amity,” and “enemy.” For general prose, “hostile” is often the more accessible choice, while “inimical” gives formal or elevated writing added emphasis.
adjectiveHostile or unfriendly; opposed to someone or actively harmful to something. It is especially used of attitudes, forces, or conditions that obstruct particular interests.
- Characterized by hostility or lack of friendliness toward someone.
- Opposed to or actively detrimental to a person, institution, interest, or principle.
"The committee condemned the secrecy as inimical to public trust."
"Despite years of rivalry, she remained cordial and refused to become inimical toward his family."
"The proposed secrecy is inimical to the principles of an open and accountable government."
Inimical descends from the same Latin root as “enemy” and “amicable”—but it is the word to reach for when something is actively against your interests.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inimical come from?
Inimical comes from Latin inimicus, meaning “hostile” or “an enemy.” That word combined the negative prefix in- with amicus, meaning “friend,” and developed into English through French. Its vocabulary relatives include amicable, amiable, amity, and enemy.
Related word forms
How inimical is actually used
Chiefly formal or literary. It is often more emphatic than “unfriendly,” and it is frequently used in the construction “inimical to” when describing a policy, force, attitude, or condition that threatens particular interests.
Easily confused with inimical
Inimical means hostile or harmful, whereas inimitable means so admirable or distinctive that it cannot be copied.