unobtainable

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adjective un·ob·tain·able \ ˌən-əb-ˈtā-nə-bəl , -äb- \

Definition of unobtainable

:not capable of being obtained :not available :not obtainable

an unobtainable objective

a gem so rare as to be virtually unobtainable

See unobtainable defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of unobtainable from the Web

This year, Melbourne’s median house price hit a record-breaking AU$826,000 (almost $650,000), confirming that homeownership is officially unobtainable for almost everyone.

— jennifer neal, The Root, "For Those Considering Blaxit, I Present to You: Melbourne (Yes, Australia)," 18 July 2017
Firearms are largely unobtainable for ordinary Chinese, and such attacks are more often carried out with knives or homemade explosives.

— Bloomberg.com, "Two Killed, Nine Hurt in Cleaver Attack At Chinese Walmart Store," 17 July 2017
College seemed unobtainable, so Beaver worked in fast-food restaurants, working his way up to manager.

— gabrielle russon, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic Kingdom job brings joy, if not riches, for longtime Disney employee," 17 July 2017
Mortgage companies usually require at least a 5% deposit, a figure that is all but unobtainable for a young family on a tight budget — without access to the bank of mom and dad.

— jane onyanga-omara, USA TODAY, "'Frozen out': Britain's shockingly unaffordable housing market," 12 May 2017
A physical description of the bomber was unobtainable, Captain Finney reasoned, but maybe Brussel could use the evidence to draw a profile of the bomber’s inner self—an emotional portrait—that would illuminate his background and disorder.

— michael cannell, Smithsonian, "Unmasking the Mad Bomber," 2 May 2017
Some of us forever pine after the unobtainable, choosing to dwell in the heady space of the impossible crush rather than actually deal with something real and tangible.

— richard lawson, Vanities, "Animal-Rights Advocate Georgina Bloomberg Is Reportedly Dating a Hunter," 13 Jan. 2017
Law and order without justice is unobtainable, they are inextricably tied together.

— tina nguyen, vanityfair.com, "Did Cory Booker Just Launch His 2020 Campaign?," 11 Jan. 2017
Law and order without justice is unobtainable, they are inextricably tied together.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Did Cory Booker Just Launch His 2020 Campaign?," 11 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unobtainable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unobtainable

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Near Antonyms

close, immediate, near, nearby, neighboring, next-door, nigh

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