unavoidable

adjective

un·​avoid·​able ˌən-ə-ˈvȯi-də-bəl How to pronounce unavoidable (audio)
: not avoidable : inevitable
The accident was unavoidable.
unavoidably adverb

Examples of unavoidable in a Sentence

unfortunately, kitchen duty will be unavoidable tonight
Recent Examples on the Web The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicted that the shortfall may be much higher than Newsom calculated and cuts will be unavoidable. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 An ancient lake Back in the Pleistocene, however, the water would have been unavoidable. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 In sum, Eras forests could emerge as template for actors with unavoidable large carbon footprint to address climate issues and the associated inequalities. Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 An unavoidable talking point with this topic is that migrants are a drain on our resources. Rafael Perez, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 At certain points, the blockade, which Israel claims is an unavoidable security measure, has been loosened to allow import of more foods; for example, in 2010 Israel started to permit potato chips, fruit juices, Coca-Cola and cookies. Yara M. Asi, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024 Over the course of the twentieth century, as child mortality rates plummeted in much of the world, the loss of a child receded, for many people, from a seemingly unavoidable tragedy to an event practically inconceivable in its horror. Matthew Aucoin, The New York Review of Books, 15 Feb. 2024 But this technology comes with an unavoidable trade-off. Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 That such violent warfare may be unavoidable is not herein denied. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unavoidable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unavoidable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unavoidable

Cite this Entry

“Unavoidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unavoidable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unavoidable

adjective
un·​avoid·​able ˌən-ə-ˈvȯid-ə-bəl How to pronounce unavoidable (audio)
: not avoidable : inevitable
the accident was unavoidable
unavoidably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unavoidable

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