1
Permanent physical mark
Made with material that cannot easily be removed or washed away.
Example
The archivist used indelible ink to label the storage boxes.
indelible
/ɪnˈdɛləbəl/ · in-DEL-uh-buhladjective
Impossible to remove, forget, or erase.
Use indelible for a physical mark, memory, impression, or influence that remains permanently or for a very long time.
What indelible Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Unforgettable impression
Remaining powerfully fixed in a person's memory or identity.
Example
The teacher's encouragement left an indelible impression that influenced her student's career.
3
Lasting historical effect
Continuing to shape a community, institution, or culture long after an event.
Example
The event left an indelible mark on the community.
Use indelible Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The event left an indelible mark on the community.
Her first view of the restored mural made an indelible impression.
The migration left an indelible influence on the region's language and cuisine.
Precision Matters
Indelible overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
indelible
vs.Often stresses resistance to erasure from memory or identity.
permanent
Broadly means intended or expected to last indefinitely.
indelible
vs.Suggests an impression fixed too deeply to remove.
enduring
Means continuing to exist or remain influential over time.
indelible
vs.Is stronger and suggests the memory cannot be erased.
memorable
Simply means worth remembering or easy to recall.
indelible
vs.Describes a mark or influence that remains.
irreversible
Describes a process or change that cannot be undone.
Test indelible in Context
The impression remains fixed in memory over many decades.
1
The teacher’s brief encouragement shaped Arun’s ambitions for decades, leaving an indelible impression that he recalled throughout his career.
As used in the text, “indelible” most nearly means…