unidentifiable

adjective

un·​iden·​ti·​fi·​able ˌən-ī-ˌden-tə-ˈfī-ə-bəl How to pronounce unidentifiable (audio)
-ə-ˌden-
: impossible to identify : not identifiable
an unidentifiable odor
unidentifiably adverb

Examples of unidentifiable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On Thursday afternoon, delivery trucks and cars zigzagged around unidentifiable heaps of twisted metal and fabric left in the street, as trains roared by and a helicopter circled overhead. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The woman’s remains were unidentifiable, but the body was sent to the medical examiner’s office where an autopsy was performed, officials said. Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 16 Feb. 2024 Empire is darker, bleaker, and unafraid to have Luke (Mark Hamill) crawl into an unidentifiable animal carcass to keep warm in a frozen tundra and to lose an actual hand. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2023 Palestinian media reports at the time said the corpses returned were unidentifiable. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2024 Researchers have also found thousands of unidentifiable chemicals in some popular vape products. Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2023 Dramatic footage of in-fight meltdowns can create tabloid fixtures, but the offending fliers are often unidentifiable. Amanda Hess, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023 Officers reviewed the X-ray image of what appeared to be a skull with unidentifiable components inside. CBS News, 30 Sep. 2023 McInerney will be responsible for developing and overseeing implementation of studies into unidentifiable observations of events in the sky, commonly referred to as UFOs. Kate Duffy, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unidentifiable.' 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

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unidentifiable was circa 1909

Dictionary Entries Near unidentifiable

Cite this Entry

“Unidentifiable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unidentifiable. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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