unviable

adjective

un·​vi·​a·​ble ˌən-ˈvī-ə-bəl How to pronounce unviable (audio)
: incapable of growth or development : not viable
unviable seeds
an unviable business/investment

Examples of unviable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Over the last two years, despite the city’s approval, the development of a speculative office campus in the Bay Area has become unviable. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 President Biden has continued to champion a two-state solution to the conflict — an idea seen in recent years as unviable by many Israelis and by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 Asking a mining company if there are environmental issues that would make their business unviable is problematic, says Kaja Lønne Fjærtoft, senior sustainable ocean adviser at WWF Norway. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2024 Flooding in the early 2010s along the Lower Mississippi Delta caused thousands of alligator nests to become unviable. David Conrads, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jan. 2024 Chilean law currently allows abortions for three reasons: rape, an unviable fetus, and risk to the life of the mother. María Verza and Patricia Luna, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Dec. 2023 Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Over restriction of e-scooters made this transportation option unviable. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023 Were it found to have accepted state subsidies from China that are large enough to have distorted the competitive playing field, Elon Musk’s company may face punitive tariffs that render exports to the EU from its flagship plant economically unviable. Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2023 Extreme weather events from droughts to heat waves affect crop yields and their nutritional value, and some crops will become unviable in certain areas. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 17 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unviable.' 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

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unviable was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near unviable

Cite this Entry

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

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