incorrigible

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2012 is: incorrigible • \in-KOR-uh-juh-bul\  • adjective 1 : incapable of being corrected, amended, or reformed 2 : not manageable : unruly 3 : unalterable, inveterate Examples: Neil was such an incorrigible slob that his parents eventually gave up nagging him about cleaning his room and simply told him to keep the door closed. "We first meet Moe, Larry and Curly as babies dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns…. The kids immediately prove themselves to be violent, incorrigible and stupid, traits they will not outgrow as they get older." - From a movie review by Bill Goodykoontz in The Arizona Republic, April 13, 2012 Did you know? "Incorrigible" has been part of English since the 14th century. Back then, it was used to describe people who were morally depraved, but now it is most often applied to people who merely have bad habits. Is there a "corrigible?" Yes, indeed, we've used "corrigible" in the sense of "capable of being set right; reparable" (as in "a corrigible defect" and "a corrigible sinner") since the 15th century. Both words are from Latin "corrigere," which means "to correct" and which is also the source of our word "correct." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.