Inviolate
adj.resilient, calmformal
What it means
Kept free from violation, damage, or unwanted interference.
Reach for it when describing something that has in fact remained untouched or respected
The sealed evidence remained inviolate until both observers were present.
Choose between these
6- everyday
untouched
no physical alteration or handling occurred
not when Untouched says nothing about legal or moral violation.
- warm
preserved
care has maintained the thing over time
not when Preserved can involve substantial intervention rather than leaving it inviolate.
- professional
all essential parts remain present and undamaged
not when Intact material may have been improperly accessed and then restored.
- professional
unbreached
a boundary or defense has not been crossed
not when Unbreached belongs to boundaries and defenses rather than dignity or principle.
- formal
function or value remains undiminished
not when Unimpaired can follow contact or use and says nothing about violation.
- literary
reverence protects the thing from ordinary use
not when Sacred adds religious value that inviolate does not require.
Said against
3- violated
- breached
- defiled
It naturally appears in
3- remain inviolate
The original record must remain inviolate while copies are annotated.
- kept inviolate
The quiet room was kept inviolate during the hour of reflection.
- inviolate boundary
An inviolate boundary protected the participant's right to withdraw.
Where this comes from
- Merriam-Webster, adjective sense 1: not violated or profaned opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.