Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Outside of formally defined abstract systems, "invariant" almost always means "usual"


I am a native English speaker and have never heard someone use "unchangeable" or "invariable" to mean anything other than the correct meaning: "not variable; not changing or capable of being changed; static or constant."


And "impossible" means "difficult". I believe this feature of natural language is called hyperbole, and its study is part of the Linguistics subfield of Pragmatics.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: