as in unavailable
hard or impossible to get to or get at
that information is unobtainable as long as my computer is down
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Recent Examples of unobtainable
Technological advances since the mid-1970s, including acoustic and satellite telemetry, inexpensive underwater cameras, and aerial and underwater drones, have given us insights into the biology, ecology, and behavior of sharks that were previously unobtainable.
—
Hans Walters, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025
Donizetti’s popular 1832 comedy is the story of a poor Italian villager named Nemorino who’s in love with the beautiful but unobtainable woman named Adina.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Unlike deterrence by punishment, which threatens consequences like economic sanctions, a strategy of denial seeks to convince an aggressor that its objectives are unobtainable, by making the likelihood of a catastrophic military defeat more credible.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
But during photography’s earlier periods, when cameras looked like boxes and accordions, the process of making pictures was much more involved than a single touch to a screen—and often relatively unobtainable for average people.
—Kaila Philo, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unobtainable
Hans Walters, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025
Donizetti’s popular 1832 comedy is the story of a poor Italian villager named Nemorino who’s in love with the beautiful but unobtainable woman named Adina.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Unlike deterrence by punishment, which threatens consequences like economic sanctions, a strategy of denial seeks to convince an aggressor that its objectives are unobtainable, by making the likelihood of a catastrophic military defeat more credible.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
But during photography’s earlier periods, when cameras looked like boxes and accordions, the process of making pictures was much more involved than a single touch to a screen—and often relatively unobtainable for average people.
—Kaila Philo, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unobtainable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unobtainable
Adjective
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During its closure, all services rendered at city hall will be unavailable, the post said, including municipal court and utility billing.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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In addition to filling your bird feeders with seed and suet, providing birds with water is often overlooked, especially in winter when ice and snow make other water sources unavailable.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But Redzepi knows that the cost and the limited number of seats — just 42 guests at each seating, four days a week — means his food will be inaccessible to the average Angeleno.—
Laurie Ochoa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Proponents for open enrollment policies say that the process allows families to choose the best academic environment for their children and allows low-income families to enroll in schools that would otherwise be inaccessible due to high housing costs.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unobtainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unobtainable. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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