unacceptable

adjective

un·​ac·​cept·​able ˌən-ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl How to pronounce unacceptable (audio)
-ak-
: not acceptable : not pleasing or welcome
unacceptability noun
unacceptably adverb

Examples of unacceptable in a Sentence

a word that is unacceptable in formal English Some of her ideas were unacceptable to other people.
Recent Examples on the Web Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori, who was filling in for head coach Chris Finch due to illness, described the gesture as unacceptable and lamented the timing of the technical foul call. Sam Joseph, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Anything over 100ms is unacceptable while 20-40ms would be considered optimal. Ken Colburn, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Finding doctors while a patient on Medicaid and Medicare is challenging enough—then to be treated differently is unacceptable. Pamela Appea, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 An environment our courts have already ruled was unacceptable. Lz Granderson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 Daniel Maillet, Matt's dad, called the restriction unacceptable. Nancy Cutler, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 This behavior that Gemini was doing in creating these images was unacceptable. Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 The project was controversial from the beginning and remains so today, with critics contending the price of its water, energy consumption and environmental impact are unacceptable. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Communicate that such behavior is unacceptable, outlining the specific actions that violate professional standards. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unacceptable.' 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 unacceptable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unacceptable

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

unacceptable

adjective
un·​ac·​cept·​able ˌən-ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl How to pronounce unacceptable (audio)
-ak-
: not acceptable : not pleasing or welcome
unacceptably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unacceptable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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