untouchable

1 of 2

adjective

un·​touch·​able ˌən-ˈtə-chə-bəl 

1

a

: forbidden to the touch : not to be handled

untouchable museum pieces

b

: exempt from criticism, control, punishment, etc.

The mayor thought he was beyond the law and untouchable.

2

: lying beyond reach

untouchable resources buried deep within the earth

3

: disagreeable or defiling to the touch

4

: too good to be equaled

The team's record was untouchable.

untouchable

2 of 2

noun

plural untouchables

: someone or something that is untouchable

… so Frey moved Keith Moreland from right-field to third base and benched Ron Cey temporarily, while Green threatened to trade heretofore untouchables.

—Peter Gammons

specifically, dated, offensive : a member of the lowest class in the traditional Hindu social hierarchy having in traditional Hindu belief the quality of defiling by contact a member of a higher caste : dalit

Synonyms of untouchable

Adjective

• inaccessible
• unavailable

Examples of untouchable in a Sentence

Adjective

The mayor believed that he was untouchable and not subject to the same laws as the rest of us.

The team's record was untouchable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Both Barnes and Abrams previously were untouchable due to strong connections with ownership. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

For almost 10 years as a professional, Hamed was untouchable; unhittable, unhurtable. —Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026

Noun

Artemi Panarin could be a good starting point, but there shouldn’t be any untouchables at MSG these days. —Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

On Day 1 of the Winter Meetings, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said there were no untouchables on the roster and didn't explicitly say Skubal would remain in Detroit. —Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1909, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

untouchable

1 of 2 adjective

un·​touch·​able ˌən-ˈtəch-ə-bəl 

ˈən-

1

a

: not to be touched or handled

b

: not to be criticized or controlled

2

: lying beyond the reach

untouchable

2 of 2 noun

: one that is untouchable

especially : a member of the lowest social class in India