unthinkable

adjective

un·​think·​able ˌən-ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl How to pronounce unthinkable (audio)
1
: not capable of being grasped by the mind
2
: being contrary to what is reasonable, desirable, or probable : being out of the question
unthinkability noun
unthinkably adverb

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 The living conditions in Rafah where 1.4 million internal refugees are herded and trapped are unthinkable. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 In his absence, worshipers at a nearby ultra-Orthodox synagogue had dedicated a Torah to a soldier killed during the invasion of Gaza — something that would have been unthinkable before the war. Natan Odenheimer, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Macron pointed out that Western democracies have gradually increased their support to levels unthinkable when the war began. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Their final voyage with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association crew took an unthinkable turn as Simplicity was found abandoned in St. Vincent, bearing chilling evidence of a violent struggle. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2024 With most of the Russian political opposition, like Volkov, in exile, and long jail sentences now meted out for even a flicker of dissent, mass protests following Navalny’s death are virtually unthinkable. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Under Elizabethan feudalism this notion was unthinkable if only because none but the royal had the alternatives of seemingly absolute choice, the liberties of the masses being hedged about by all sorts of rigid proscriptions. Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024 The European Union has already committed more then $150 billion in aid to Ukraine, but sending in troops, would be a drastic step, one that was unthinkable when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion two years ago. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Quantum sensors are fascinating instruments that reveal nature to us in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago. Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unthinkable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unthinkable

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

unthinkable

adjective
un·​think·​able ˌən-ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl How to pronounce unthinkable (audio)
ˈən-
: not to be thought of or considered as possible
unthinkable cruelty

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