unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl 

1

a

: shockingly unfair or unjust

unconscionable sales practices

b

: excessive, unreasonable

found an unconscionable number of defects in the car

2

: not guided or controlled by conscience : unscrupulous

an unconscionable villain

unconscionability

ˌən-ˌkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

unconscionableness

ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl-nəs 

noun

unconscionably

ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-blē 

adverb

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When Do You Use unconscionable?

Something that can't be done in good conscience is unconscionable, and such acts can range from betraying a confidence to mass murder. For a five-syllable word, unconscionable is actually quite common. This is partly because it isn't always used very seriously; so, for example, a critic is free to call a fat new book "an unconscionable waste of trees". In law, an unconscionable contract is one that, even though it was signed by both parties, is so ridiculous that a judge will just throw it out.

Synonyms

• excessive
• extreme
• insane
• steep
• extravagant

Examples of unconscionable in a Sentence

They have had to endure unconscionable delays.

an unconscionable number of errors for an important government report

Recent Examples on the Web

This should go down as another disgraceful star in the Constellation of Dirty Presidential Pardons, which features Barack Obama's pardon of Chelsea Manning, Bill Clinton's pardon of his half-brother Roger Clinton, and of course Joe Biden's unconscionable pardon of his son Hunter. —Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

After receiving widespread condemnation for the unconscionable posts, Lee quietly removed them, but has not apologized. —S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025

He’s said and done some things that are unconscionable and unforgivable. —Andrew Goldman, Vulture, 16 June 2025

Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkänch-(ə-)nə-bəl 

1

: not guided or controlled by conscience

an unconscionable villain

2

: not being in agreement with what is right or just : unreasonable, excessive

unconscionably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkän-chə-nə-bəl 

: unreasonably unfair to one party, marked by oppression, or otherwise unacceptably offensive to public policy

an unconscionable clause

finds the contract…to have been unconscionable at the time it was made

—Uniform Commercial Code

compare conscionable

unconscionably adverb