unenforceable
adjective
un·en·force·able
ˌən-in-ˈfȯr-sə-bəl 
-en-
: unable to be enforced : not enforceable
an unenforceable law/contract
Examples of unenforceable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To be sure, such pledges are practically unenforceable.
—
Max Greenwood The Miami Herald (tns), Arkansas Online, 17 Aug. 2023
Legal experts have said the legislation, which is not set to take effect until January, raises constitutional issues and may well be practically unenforceable even if the law is upheld.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 28 June 2023
That November, Michigan voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that made the 1931 law unenforceable, and this April, Governor Gretchen Whitmer repealed the ban.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 20 June 2023
The most recent ruling overturns a 2021 lower California court decision that found Proposition 22 to be both unenforceable and unconstitutional.
—Julia Malleck, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2023
In 2014, Judge Louis Kaplan sided with Chevron and made the judgment in Ecuador unenforceable in U.S. courts.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 17 Feb. 2023
Supporters praised the change as a way to reduce accidental deaths, firearm thefts and suicides, while many gun owners derided the rules as unenforceable and unconstitutional.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2023
However, this designation was unenforceable since the children were nowhere to be found in the U.S.
Montgomery County prosecutors ended up charging Koptyaeva with interference with child custody due to the removal of the children.
—Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023
Council members Jaime Resendez, Tennell Atkins, Paula Blackmon and Gay Donnell Willis told The News the City Council hasn’t been briefed on options by the city attorney’s office since Houston sued the state on July 3 arguing HB 2127 was unconstitutional and unenforceable.
—Everton Bailey Jr., Dallas News, 28 July 2023
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Max Greenwood The Miami Herald (tns), Arkansas Online, 17 Aug. 2023
Legal experts have said the legislation, which is not set to take effect until January, raises constitutional issues and may well be practically unenforceable even if the law is upheld.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 28 June 2023
That November, Michigan voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that made the 1931 law unenforceable, and this April, Governor Gretchen Whitmer repealed the ban.
—Maryn McKenna, WIRED, 20 June 2023
The most recent ruling overturns a 2021 lower California court decision that found Proposition 22 to be both unenforceable and unconstitutional.
—Julia Malleck, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2023
In 2014, Judge Louis Kaplan sided with Chevron and made the judgment in Ecuador unenforceable in U.S. courts.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 17 Feb. 2023
Supporters praised the change as a way to reduce accidental deaths, firearm thefts and suicides, while many gun owners derided the rules as unenforceable and unconstitutional.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2023
However, this designation was unenforceable since the children were nowhere to be found in the U.S.
Montgomery County prosecutors ended up charging Koptyaeva with interference with child custody due to the removal of the children.
—Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023
Council members Jaime Resendez, Tennell Atkins, Paula Blackmon and Gay Donnell Willis told The News the City Council hasn’t been briefed on options by the city attorney’s office since Houston sued the state on July 3 arguing HB 2127 was unconstitutional and unenforceable.
—Everton Bailey Jr., Dallas News, 28 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unenforceable.' 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
1868, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unenforceable
Cite this Entry
“Unenforceable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unenforceable. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Legal Definition
unenforceable
adjective
un·en·force·able
ˌən-in-ˈfȯr-sə-bəl
: not enforceable in a court
unenforceability
noun
-ˌfȯr-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē
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