unacceptable
Britishadjective
-
not satisfactory; inadequate
the standard was wholly unacceptable
-
intolerable
hitting children is unacceptable
Explanation
Something unacceptable is not okay — it's objectionable or displeasing. Hey, are you yelling in the library? That's unacceptable! If a student's behavior is unacceptable, she may get detention or be sent to the principal's office. And if a restaurant patron's meal is unacceptable, he has every right to ask his server for something else. The adjective unacceptable adds the "not" prefix un- to acceptable, "suitable, adequate, or pleasing." We can trace the roots back to the Latin acceptare, "take or receive willingly."
Vocabulary lists containing unacceptable
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.
The Iraqi presidency, without naming the US and Saudi Arabia, denounced the strikes on the Hashed al-Shaabi as "an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty".
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
He also acknowledged there was "pressure on prison places" and a failure to invest in the system created "an unacceptable situation".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White says that’s ‘absolutely unacceptable.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Executives at OpenAI and Anthropic are sounding the alarm about the rise of inexpensive AI, including some of China’s latest models, suggesting they present unacceptable security risks without regulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
My mom had decided that she should get a job, just in case my dad really did lose his, an idea that my dad found unacceptable.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
