unsuitable

adjective

un·​suit·​able ˌən-ˈsü-tə-bəl How to pronounce unsuitable (audio)
: not fitting or right for a use or purpose : not suitable
an unsuitable choice
unsuitable topics for conversation
unsuitability noun
unsuitability for the job
unsuitably adverb
unsuitably dressed

Examples of unsuitable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The site is unsuitable for construction, so any new project is reliant on the city spending tens of millions of dollars to get the land suitable for sale. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 10 Feb. 2024 This can force salt water, or brine, into freshwater creating land unsuitable for farming, Olson said. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Feb. 2024 Temperatures would be increasingly unsuitable for both species, the researchers said, but white rhinos probably would be affected earlier. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Therefore, triploid genetics won't eliminate diploids, as triploids are unsuitable for breeding. Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 However, the strand was unsuitable for DNA profiling at the time, said court documents submitted by the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Most of the land is unsuitable for constructing new launch pads or hangars. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 12 Jan. 2024 Iran’s supreme Islamic leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will be equally confident of the election outcome: A council of guardians, and ultimately Mr. Khamenei himself, can bar candidates deemed unsuitable from running. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Jan. 2024 This has been particularly welcomed by wine and spirits companies, who are looking at new opportunities in U.K. farmland that was previously unsuitable for grape growing for wine and seeking insights on barley production for whiskey. Stephanie Cain, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsuitable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsuitable was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near unsuitable

Cite this Entry

“Unsuitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsuitable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsuitable

adjective
un·​suit·​able
ˌən-ˈsüt-ə-bəl,
ˈən-
: not suitable or fitting : unbecoming, inappropriate
unsuitably
-blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unsuitable

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