Indomitably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Possessing a spirit or resolve that cannot be subdued, defeated, or discouraged despite difficulties or opposition
2. in a manner that cannot be broken, conquered, or weakened by adversity or opposition
3. with an unconquerable spirit that resists defeat, discouragement, or submission regardless of obstacles

Etymology: Indomitably is a straightforward formation: the adjective "indomitable" with the adverb ending "-ly" added to it. The adjective itself comes from Latin "indomitabilis", built from the negating prefix "in-", "domitare" (to tame, subdue) and the suffix "-abilis" ("able to be"), so the whole word means "not able to be tamed". The "-ly" ending has a much older pedigree: it descends from an Old English "-līce", which was itself the adverbial form of the adjective suffix "-līc" ("like, having the form of"), so every English adverb in "-ly" carries an ancient sense of "in the manner of". Here the word is literally a tamed-animal metaphor. "Domitare" is the frequent form of "domare", the verb behind English "daunt" and "dominate" in its root sense of taming, so "indomitable" describes a creature or spirit that refuses the bridle. Adding "-ly" turns that picture into a description of how someone acts, so that a person who endures indomitably keeps on as though no harness could ever be fitted.

Synonyms: unconquerably, invincibly, unyieldingly, resolutely, unrelentingly

Antonyms: submissively, yieldingly, weakly, fragilely, vulnerably