unavailable

adjective

un·​avail·​able ˌən-ə-ˈvā-lə-bəl 

: not available: such as

a

: not possible to get or use

a book that is currently unavailable online

The conference room is unavailable this afternoon.

b

: unable or unwilling to do something

—often followed by for or by to + a verb

Officials were unavailable for comment.

The manager is unavailable to speak with you right now.

unavailability

ˌən-ə-ˌvā-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms of unavailable

• inaccessible

Examples of unavailable in a Sentence

the commander is unavailable right now

Recent Examples on the Web

More recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is unavailable due to the federal government shutdown. —Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025

Economists warn that solutions that worked in the past—such as the post-World War II debt reduction or the 1990s surpluses—are unavailable today. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025

The entire giraffe herd at the zoo is currently unavailable for viewing by the public as the herd’s enclosure undergoes construction. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

Courts are closed for Veterans Day, so juvenile records were unavailable. —Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unavailable

• available
• unsalable
• bailable
• mailable
• salable
• saleable
• scalable
• bioavailable
• unassailable