ineligible
Americanadjective
-
not eligible; not permitted or suitable.
Employees are ineligible in this contest.
- Synonyms:
- unsuitable
-
legally disqualified to hold an office.
-
legally disqualified to function as a juror, voter, witness, etc., or to become the recipient of a privilege.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ineligible
Explanation
To be ineligible is to not qualify for something. When you're eligible for something — like a contest — you are allowed to enter. Being ineligible is the opposite; it means that you can't enter or participate in something. After a certain age, children are ineligible for playing Little League baseball. Students below a certain grade point average are ineligible for scholarships. People born outside the United States are ineligible to run for President. If you want to know who's eligible and ineligible for something, check the rules or laws.
Vocabulary lists containing ineligible
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
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American Football, 3rd Quarter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ineligible for the win over Ludogorets, the trio are expected to feature in some capacity against Dundee.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
Ineligible businesses include publicly traded companies, cannabis businesses and corporate-owned franchises.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024
Ineligible for the AHL, the young forward will spend the rest of the season with the Oil Kings but will not burn the first year of his entry-level contract.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2021
“Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Callaway violated M.L.B.’s policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted.”
From New York Times • May 26, 2021
From a theatre programme:— "All the Male Members of the above Company are either attested under Lord Derby's Scheme, or are otherwise Ineligible for Service."
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, March 29, 1916 by Seaman, Owen, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
