introuvable

French

Etymology

From in- +‎ trouvable.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.tʁu.vabl/

• Audio

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Adjective

introuvable (plural introuvables)

1. unfindable; (by extension) unobtainable or nonexistent

   chercher l’introuvable ― to seek the unobtainable

   • 1906, George Bernanos, Unpublished correspondences:

     Mais, ce problème-là, personne ne le résoudra jamais, et c’est folie que de s’obstiner à en chercher l’introuvable solution.

     But this problem, no one will ever solve it, and it is madness to persist in seeking an [lit. the] nonexistent solution for it.

2. (hyperbolic) elusive, rare

Further reading

• “introuvable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.