incontrôlable

Incontrôlable is a French adjective meaning uncontrollable or unable to be controlled. It describes something that cannot be easily governed, restrained, or directed, whether a physical phenomenon, a behavior, or a process. The term is commonly used for both concrete and abstract subjects, from natural events to emotions or systems that escape management.

Etymology and spelling: the word is built from the prefix in- attached to contrôlable, which means capable of being controlled. contrôlable itself derives from the verb contrôler (to control). The spelling includes the circumflex on ô in contrôlable and, by extension, in incontrôlable. The prefix in- remains in- before c in French, so incontrôlable is the standard form, not imkontrollable.

Grammar and usage: incontrôlable is an adjective and agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number. For example, un comportement incontrôlable (masculine singular), une situation incontrôlable (feminine singular), des comportements incontrôlables (masculine plural). The noun form related to the concept is l’incontrôlabilité, meaning the state or quality of being uncontrollable.

Context and nuance: in everyday use, incontrôlable often conveys that control is either temporarily lost or structurally difficult to regain, across contexts such as weather events, machinery malfunctions, or emotional responses. The term can appear in journalism, literature, and discourse discussing risk, safety, or behavior.

See also: contrôlable, contrôler, incon?labilité (incontrôlabilité).