imstande

\ˌɪmˈʃtandə\

/\ˌɪmˈʃtandə\/ adv

The verdict

“imstande” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Habile, capable.

Corpus desk

Index FR-imstande · imstande · French

imstande · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for imstande
PropertyValue
Headwordimstande
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdverb
IPA\ˌɪmˈʃtandə\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « imstande » en français

imstandesiège au-delà des 100.000 formes les plus fréquentes du français, dans la traîne du lexique spécialisé ou peu usité.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

imstande is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed \ˌɪmˈʃtandə\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Habile, capable.".

imstande has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is imstande, spelled I-M-S-T-A-N-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Habile, capable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how imstande appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Das ist das einzige Geheimnis, und der nette kleine Eduard entscheidet sich, ins zweite Lager hinüberzuwechseln: Er wird ein Mann sein, den man nicht schlägt, weil man weiß, dass er imstande ist zu töten.
  2. Louise besaß einen äußerst dürren Stolz: vor lauter Angst, betrogen zu werden, verkannte sie bei ihren Kindern, ihrem Mann, bei sich selbst sogar die Eigenschaften, die ins Auge sprangen; Charles war nicht imstande, die Schönheit anderer Menschen zu erkennen; er verwechselte Schönheit mit Gesundheit: (...)

Synonyms

in der Lagefähig

Antonyms

außerstande

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imstande"?
"imstande" is spelled I-M-S-T-A-N-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ˌɪmˈʃtandə\.
What does "imstande" mean?
As an adverb, "imstande" means: Habile, capable.
How do you pronounce "imstande"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imstande" is \ˌɪmˈʃtandə\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "imstande" come from?
"imstande" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list