inalienable
Impossible to forfeit
Inalienable describes rights or qualities that cannot be taken away, surrendered, or transferred.
The word appears most often in political and legal contexts: inalienable rights, inalienable freedoms.
The Declaration of Independence famously asserts that all people possess inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Something inalienable belongs to you by nature, not by grant—no authority can legitimately strip it from you.
Entitlement from origin
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- natural rightsFreedoms inherent to personhood
- civil rightsGuaranteed individual legal protections
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
autonomy · entitlement · fundamental · inherent · endowment · dignity · equality · liberty
Incapable of being changed
- permanentFixed without end
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- unchangeableImpossible to modify
- enduringPersisting through time
eternal · perpetual · indefeasible · unassailable · unchallengeable · irreversible · indestructible · absolute
Cannot change hands
- untransferableCannot change hands
- inseparableUnable to be divided
- vestedLegally guaranteed as yours
- inherentExisting as essential part
intrinsic · attached · indivisible · possession · heritage · patrimony · birthright · heirloom
Male originators of institutions
- framersThose who construct frames
- bill of rightsDocument listing protected liberties
- declarationFormal public announcement
- amendmentChange to official text
self-evident · natural law · endowed · creator · preamble · ratification · citizenship · civic
birthright
Entitlement from origin
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- natural rightsFreedoms inherent to personhood
- civil rightsGuaranteed individual legal protections
self-determination · autonomy · entitlement · fundamental · inherent · endowment · dignity · equality · liberty · freedom
immutable
Incapable of being changed
- permanentFixed without end
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- unchangeableImpossible to modify
enduring · eternal · perpetual · indefeasible · unassailable · unchallengeable · irreversible · indestructible · absolute · fixed
non-transferable
Cannot change hands
- untransferableCannot change hands
- inseparableUnable to be divided
- vestedLegally guaranteed as yours
inherent · intrinsic · attached · indivisible · possession · heritage · patrimony · birthright · heirloom · entailment
founding fathers
Male originators of institutions
- framersThose who construct frames
- bill of rightsDocument listing protected liberties
- declarationFormal public announcement
amendment · self-evident · natural law · endowed · creator · preamble · ratification · citizenship · civic · Jefferson
inalienablealienable
May be transferred legally
transferable · transferrable · assignable · conveyable · appropriable
inalienabletransitory
Brief in duration
impermanent · temporary · changeable · revocable · mutable
inalienablenegotiable
Open to agreement
bargainable · dispensable · discretionary · optional · tradeable
- inalienable rightsEntitlements that cannot transfer