inanimate
in·an·i·mate/ɪnˈænɪmət/adjective, noun
inanimate is spelled I-N-A-N-I-M-A-T-E: 9 letters and 4 syllables (in·an·i·mate). It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, inanimate means “Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as an inanimate object” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in inanimate?
| Letters | 9: I-N-A-N-I-M-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: in·an·i·mate |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,556th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is inanimate?
Inanimate appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce inanimate?
- UK /ɪnˈænɪmət/
As a verb (“To animate”): /ɪnˈænɪmeɪt/.
Inanimate has 4 syllables, split in·an·i·mate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-inanimate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of inanimate
- more inanimate comparative
- most inanimate superlative
- inanimates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- inanimating participle, present
- inanimated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inanimate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as an inanimate object.
- 2
Not alive, and never having been alive, especially not like humans and animals.
- 3
Not animate.
noun
- 1
rareSomething that is not alive.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo animate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inanimate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | bewegungslos, unbewegbar , leblos , unbelebt |
| Spanish | inanimado |
| French | inanimé |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does inanimate come from?
Inherited from Middle English inanimat(e), from Late Latin inanimātus, from Latin in- + animātus (“animated”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, in- + animate. The noun was derived by substantivization from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).