Ineffability

{{short description|Inability of an idea or feeling to be expressed with words}}

{{For|the notion from set theory|Ineffable cardinal}}

{{distinguish|Infallibility}}

{{One source|date=April 2023}}

Ineffability is the quality of something that surpasses the capacity of language to express it, often being in the form of a taboo or incomprehensible term.{{cite encyclopedia|last2=Jones|first2=Richard|last1=Gellman|first1=Jerome|title=Mysticism: Ineffability|url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mysticism/#Inef|encyclopedia=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2022 Edition)|date=29 June 2022}} This property is commonly associated with philosophy,Nikoletseas, M.M. (2014) "Parmenides in Apophatic Philosophy" {{isbn|978-1497532403}} theology, aspects of existence, and similar concepts that are inherently "too great", complex or abstract to be communicated adequately.Nikoletseas, M.M. (2016) "Parmenides: The World as Modus Cogitandi: Third Edition" {{isbn|978-1518891205}} Illogical statements, principles, reasons and arguments may be considered intrinsically ineffable along with impossibilities, contradictions and paradoxes.

An object, event or concept is ineffable if it cannot adequately be expressed by the use of natural language.Nikoletseas, M.M. (2014) "Parmenides in Apophatic Philosophy" {{isbn|978-1497532403}}

The term (Latin: ineffābilis) is composed of the prefix in-, meaning 'not', and adjective effābilis, meaning 'capable of being expressed'. In Greek, ἄρρητος (α depritive + ῥητὸς) means 'what cannot or should not be spoken of'.

Terminology describing the nature of experience cannot be conveyed properly in dualistic symbolic language; it is believed that this knowledge is only held by the individual from which it originates. Profanity and vulgarisms can easily and clearly be stated, but by those who believe they should not be said, they are considered ineffable. Thus, one method of describing something that is ineffable is by using apophasis, i.e. describing what it is not, rather than what it is. An example is the name of God in Judaism, written as YHWH but substituted with Adonai ("the Lord") or HaShem ("the name") when reading.