inaccessible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inaccessible
From the Late Latin word inaccessibilis, dating back to 1545–55. See in- 3, accessible
Explanation
Can't get to something you want? It must be inaccessible. If it were accessible, you wouldn't have any trouble finding it. This word makes a lot of sense when you think about the word access, which is the ability to get at, use, or have something. Inaccessible things are out of reach. There are a lot of ways this word is used. A building without a ramp is often called inaccessible because people who use wheelchairs can't get in. People can be inaccessible too. If your doctor has office hours only one hour a day every two months, she's really inaccessible.
Vocabulary lists containing inaccessible
"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The Bluest Eye
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Remote Learning: Synonyms for "Far"
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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.
Iran has an estimated $100 billion in assets rendered inaccessible by U.S. sanctions, mainly revenue from past oil sales and reserves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
But it wasn’t long ago that the Pacific Coast Highway was closed to incoming traffic, and the area around the pier where Zegna hosted the show was inaccessible.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Staff at Sourton Cross Service Station, which is located near the scene, said the services were currently inaccessible.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Nevertheless, it brings up larger conversations of why the urban design around the stadium is so inaccessible to pedestrians.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
What was quite clear, however, was that 44° N was completely inaccessible to radar site-certification; we had to accept a significant risk of failure with Viking 2 if it was committed to high northern latitudes.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
