unreasonable
adjective
un·rea·son·able
ˌən-ˈrēz-nə-bəl,
-ˈrē-zᵊn-ə-bəl
1
a
: not governed by or acting according to reason
unreasonable people
b
: not conformable to reason : absurd
unreasonable beliefs
2
: exceeding the bounds of reason or moderation
working under unreasonable pressure
Examples of unreasonable in a Sentence
I told him that I wouldn't pay unless he sent me a replacement. Am I being unreasonable?
You are entitled to compensation for unreasonable delays.
Recent Examples on the Web
The same could be true of the recent cost estimates, but construction technology has advanced in the past half century, so that lower costs per mile are not unreasonable.
—
Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Barbara Attard, a police accountability expert, said meet and confer can last months, but beyond a year is unreasonable.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Public nuisance: OpenAI’s deployment of increasingly capable AI systems without adequate safety measures creates an unreasonable interference with public rights in Hawaii.
—Tamlyn Hunt, Scientific American, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreasonable
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Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Barbara Attard, a police accountability expert, said meet and confer can last months, but beyond a year is unreasonable.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025
Public nuisance: OpenAI’s deployment of increasingly capable AI systems without adequate safety measures creates an unreasonable interference with public rights in Hawaii.
—Tamlyn Hunt, Scientific American, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unreasonable
Cite this Entry
“Unreasonable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreasonable. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
unreasonable
adjective
un·rea·son·able
: not reasonable : beyond what can be accepted: as
a
: clearly inappropriate, excessive, or harmful in degree or kind
an unreasonable delay
an unreasonable restraint of trade
b
: lacking justification in fact or circumstance
an unreasonable inference
c
: not supported by a warrant or by a valid exception to a warrant requirement (as when there is reasonable suspicion) and therefore unconstitutional
the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated—U.S. Constitution amend. IV
see also search, seizure
U.S. Constitution amend. IV
unreasonableness
noun
unreasonably
adverb
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