unthinkable
adjective
un·think·able
ˌən-ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl 
1
: not capable of being grasped by the mind
2
: being contrary to what is reasonable, desirable, or probable : being out of the question
Synonyms
Examples of unthinkable in a Sentence
to most people it seemed unthinkable that such a gentle man could be guilty of such awful crimes
Recent Examples on the Web
Technologically speaking, this had been previously unthinkable at scale.
—
Liran Zvibel, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
Some shelters, too, didn’t allow animals, and, for a person whose only devoted confidant in a life of instability is, say, a dog, abandoning this one friend for temporary access to a bed can seem an unthinkable exchange.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 31 July 2024
Not doing it would be as unthinkable in their village as not teaching a child their own language.
—Ayen Deng Bior, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2024
On July 24, Microsoft voluntarily recognized the World of Warcraft developers’ union, a wall-to-wall unit of over 500 employees spanning multiple departments—an achievement that has long been unthinkable in the video game industry.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unthinkable 
Liran Zvibel, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
Some shelters, too, didn’t allow animals, and, for a person whose only devoted confidant in a life of instability is, say, a dog, abandoning this one friend for temporary access to a bed can seem an unthinkable exchange.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 31 July 2024
Not doing it would be as unthinkable in their village as not teaching a child their own language.
—Ayen Deng Bior, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2024
On July 24, Microsoft voluntarily recognized the World of Warcraft developers’ union, a wall-to-wall unit of over 500 employees spanning multiple departments—an achievement that has long been unthinkable in the video game industry.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unthinkable
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unthinkable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unthinkable
Cite this Entry
“Unthinkable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unthinkable. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unthinkable
adjective
un·think·able
ˌən-ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl
ˈən-
: not to be thought of or considered as possible
unthinkable cruelty
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