untranslatable
adjective
un·trans·lat·able
ˌən-tran(t)s-ˈlā-tə-bəl 
-tranz-
: unable to be translated : not translatable
an untranslatable phrase
a word untranslatable from German
Those reflective undercurrents would seem to be untranslatable to the screen.—
Mel Gussow
Mel Gussow
untranslatability
ˌən-(ˌ)tran(t)s-ˌlā-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun
-(ˌ)tranz-
… a revealing exposition of the untranslatability of a joke about weasels and tractors.
—Brian Logan
Brian Logan
Examples of untranslatable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Writer/director Ryan Coogler understands that, just as every language has words that are untranslatable or very hard to express any other way, there are things that cinema can say like nothing else.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
The lexical gap, where untranslatable words are found in one language but not others, can be easily filled by simply borrowing these words, OED executive editor Danica Salazar wrote in the update.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Their grief and their rage are nearly untranslatable, as though feelings in extremity can only be physical sensations—the language assails one with a blind and blunt force.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Some of the film’s winking references are more esoteric than others, and a lot of wordplay and in-jokes are potentially lost on a non-Japanese audience: some of them are, according to the subtitles on my copy, basically untranslatable.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for untranslatable
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.
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025
The lexical gap, where untranslatable words are found in one language but not others, can be easily filled by simply borrowing these words, OED executive editor Danica Salazar wrote in the update.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Their grief and their rage are nearly untranslatable, as though feelings in extremity can only be physical sensations—the language assails one with a blind and blunt force.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Some of the film’s winking references are more esoteric than others, and a lot of wordplay and in-jokes are potentially lost on a non-Japanese audience: some of them are, according to the subtitles on my copy, basically untranslatable.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for untranslatable
Cite this Entry
“Untranslatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untranslatable. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share