Intransferable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Unable to be transferred from one person or entity to another
2. relating to rights or assets that cannot be assigned or conveyed
3. describing something that is inherently tied to an individual and cannot change ownership or bearer

Etymology: "Intransferable" is simply "transferable" with the negating prefix "in-" attached, meaning "not transferable." Its base, "transferable," comes from "transfer," which traces back through Old French "transferer" to Latin "transferre," literally "to carry across," from "trans" ("across") and "ferre" ("to carry"). The same "ferre" root sits behind "ferry" and "offer," so the word's core idea is one of carrying something from one place or hand to another. The prefix "in-" is the familiar Latin negator, the same one found in "inactive" or "invisible." Attached to "transferable," it names the quality of something that cannot be passed on, such as a non-negotiable ticket, a personal licence, or a skill that cannot be handed to someone else. Because "transferable" is itself a formation from "transfer" plus the adjectival suffix "-able," "intransferable" is a three-part word, with "in-" added to a word that is already built from "trans-," "fer," and "-able."

Synonyms: nontransferable, nonassignable, immovable, inalienable, nondelegable

Antonyms: transferable, assignable, movable, alienable, delegable