Dictionary

unworkable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

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 work Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English workable English unworkable From un- + workable.

Meanings

1. Not workable. ▸ Not operable; not practical; unmanageable.
   • A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We are opposed to the approach being taken by the UK Government, which we feel is unnecessary, probably unworkable, and will do nothing to resolve industrial disputes. 2024 March 20, Conrad Landin, “"Farcical" Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act isn't working”, in RAIL, number 1005, page 25:
   • These plans seem unworkable; moreover, a budget for their implementation remains a fantasy.
   • Near-synonyms: infeasible, untenable, unusable
2. (of raw materials) Not workable. ▸ Not suitable or amenable for being manipulated or transformed.
   • unworkable soils;   unworkable clays;   unworkable metals
   • Near-synonyms: unprocessable, unusable

Forms

Antonyms

practicable · workable

Deriveds

unworkably · unworkability · unworkableness

Hypernyms

unamenable · unsuitable

Relateds

unworked

Synonyms

unprocessable · inoperable · untenable · unusable · infeasible · nonworking · unusable

Translations (9)

es no factible (not workable) · fr inexécutable (not workable) · gv do-obbraghey (not workable) · ru несбы́точный (not workable) · es inviable (not workable) · bg труден за работа (not workable) · el ανεφάρμοστος (not workable) · es inhacedero (not workable) · es irrealizable (not workable)

unworkable en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

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 work Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English workable English unworkable From un- + workable.

Meanings

1. Something that is not workable, or cannot be made to work.
   • We all have some secret little hope that the unworkables will be resurrected. You haven't seen any of the occupants of the pyramids pull this off yet, nor will you see any use for old, outdated, dead office stuff. 2004, Don Aslett, The Office Clutter Cure, page 44:
   • The building of the consensus group, however, forced these interests to distinguish annoying features of the law from unworkable ones, and the list of the unworkables steadily dwindled. 1983, Lawrence David Brown, Politics and Health Care Organization: HMOs as Federal Policy:
   • His effort at maintaining a casual relationship was one of the unworkables in his life. Ealy had once observed that friends may become lovers, but lovers could never be friends. 2011, Terry Kay, Bogmeadow's Wish, page 33:

Forms