unforeseeable

adjective

un·​fore·​see·​able ˌən-fȯr-ˈsē-ə-bəl How to pronounce unforeseeable (audio)
: not able to be reasonably anticipated or expected : not foreseeable
an unforeseeable event/problem
unforeseeably adverb

Examples of unforeseeable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With no endgame in sight, the shutdown is expected to roll on for the unforeseeable future. Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025 Catastrophic insurance, not tit for tat What all this research suggests is that friendship is less about the exchange of favors and more about being there for each other when unforeseeable disaster strikes. Athena Aktipis, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025 And while winners may be tempted to choose the annuity for an initial lower tax bite and to get more Powerball money, inflation and unforeseeable tax changes over 29 years could eat away at its value. George Petras, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 An increasingly complex system generates its own kind of unforeseeable errors. Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unforeseeable

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unforeseeable was in 1672

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unforeseeable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforeseeable. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

unforeseeable

adjective
un·​fore·​see·​able
ˌən-fōr-ˈsē-ə-bəl
: not capable of being reasonably anticipated or expected : such that a person of ordinary prudence would not expect to occur or exist under the circumstances
an unforeseeable misuse
an unforeseeable injury
unforeseeability
-ˌsē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unforeseeable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!