Dictionary

unobtainable en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English obtain Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English obtainable English unobtainable From un- + obtainable.

Meanings

1. Unable to be obtained: not able to be acquired or reached.
   • With secondhand bullhead rail almost unobtainable, the NYMR has been forced to go for new flat-bottom rail and orders are being placed; 58 fb rails are already en route to the railway. 1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 412:
   • Common Goal’s grand ambition is to reach a position where 1% of football’s entire multibillion dollar industry is donated to charity. It might seem an impossible dream – just as a young boy’s fantasy of becoming a top footballer almost always seems unobtainable. But Mata was one of those who fulfilled his footballing dream. 2018 January 1, Donald McRae, “The Guardian footballer of the year 2017: Juan Mata”, in the Guardian:

Forms

Antonyms

see at obtainable

Deriveds

unobtainability · unobtanium · unobtainium · unobtainableness · unobtainably

Relateds

unbuyable · unavailable · unstealable · unborrowable

Synonyms

ungettable · unprocurable · unattainable

Translations (13)

cs nedostupný (not able to be acquired or reached) · da utilgængelig (not able to be acquired or reached) · ru недостижи́мый (not able to be acquired or reached) · fi saavuttamaton (not able to be acquired or reached) · is ófáanlegur (not able to be acquired or reached) · sv otillgänglig (not able to be acquired or reached) · eo neakirebla (not able to be acquired or reached) · fr introuvable (not able to be acquired or reached) · ru недосту́пный (not able to be acquired or reached) · pl nieosiągalny (not able to be acquired or reached) · pl niedostępny (not able to be acquired or reached) · de unerhältlich (not able to be acquired or reached) · it introvabile (not able to be acquired or reached)

unobtainable en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English obtain Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English obtainable English unobtainable From un- + obtainable.

Meanings

1. Someone or something that cannot be obtained.
   • Refusals, or unobtainables, are difficult to predict, but seem to be affected by the nature of the respondent, the sponsorship of the study, and the nature of the questions. Some refusals are definite and final […] 1975, Gerald Zaltman, Philip Burger, Marketing research: fundamentals and dynamics, page 293:
   • On the whole they are at present fairly cheap, and are not overburdened with long priced stamps, and still fewer unobtainables. 1896, The American Journal of Philately, volume 9, page 294:

Forms