Impermissible: Mastering a Key IELTS Vocabulary Word
Learn the meaning, usage, and importance of ‘impermissible’ for IELTS success. This video covers the word’s definition, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, and common usage errors to help you achieve a band score of 8.0 or higher.
Imagine you’re preparing for an important job interview, and you’re told that asking about salary is impermissible.
What does that mean for your chances of getting the information you want? Today, we’re exploring the word impermissible, a crucial term for IELTS learners aiming for a band score of 8.0 or higher.
Word type: Impermissible is an adjective. It’s used to describe actions, behaviors, or things that are not allowed or cannot be permitted.
Meaning: When something is impermissible, it means it’s not permitted, allowed, or tolerated within a specific context or system of rules.
It often carries a sense of being officially or formally prohibited.
Word history: The word impermissible has Latin roots.
It’s formed by adding the negative prefix im, meaning not, to the word permissible, which comes from the Latin permissus, meaning allowed or permitted.
This combination creates a word that essentially means not permissible or not allowed.
Antonyms: To better understand impermissible, let’s look at its opposites.
Antonyms include permissible, allowable, acceptable, and admissible. These words all indicate things that are allowed or accepted within certain rules or contexts.
Synonyms: Synonyms for impermissible include forbidden, prohibited, unallowable, inadmissible, and unacceptable.
These words all convey the idea of something being against rules or not permitted.
Examples use in sentences:
Let’s explore how to use impermissible in various contexts. In legal settings, you might hear: The judge ruled that the evidence was impermissible in court due to how it was obtained.
In academic contexts: Plagiarism is impermissible and can result in severe consequences, including expulsion.
In professional environments: The company handbook states that sharing confidential information with competitors is impermissible and grounds for immediate termination.
Common errors in use: One common mistake is confusing impermissible with impossible. While both are negative terms, impermissible refers to something not allowed, whereas impossible means something cannot be done.
Another error is using impermissible for minor infractions or personal preferences. Remember, impermissible usually implies a formal or official prohibition.
Understanding and correctly using words like impermissible can significantly enhance your IELTS performance, particularly in the writing and speaking sections.
It demonstrates a nuanced grasp of English, showing you can express complex ideas about rules, permissions, and prohibitions.
Remember, impermissible is more than just a fancy way to say not allowed. It carries weight and formality, often implying serious consequences for violations.
By incorporating this word into your vocabulary, you’re equipping yourself with a powerful tool for precise and sophisticated communication, essential for achieving that coveted band score of 8.0 or higher.
