ineligible

[in-el-i-juh-buhl]

adjective

1. not eligible; not permitted or suitable.

   Employees are ineligible in this contest.

   Synonyms: unsuitable

2. legally disqualified to hold an office.

3. legally disqualified to function as a juror, voter, witness, etc., or to become the recipient of a privilege.

noun

1. a person who is ineligible, as a suitor or team member.

ineligible

/ ɪnˈɛlɪdʒəbəl /

adjective

1. not fit or qualified

   ineligible for a grant

   ineligible to vote

noun

1. an ineligible person

Other Word Forms

• ineligibility noun
• ineligibleness noun
• ineligibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ineligible¹

First recorded in 1760–70; in- ³ + eligible

Example Sentences

The Patriots lost to Narbonne in the semifinals in 2018 and again last season, but the Gauchos forfeited both victories for using ineligible players.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He denied Marouf’s new request for a grant of voluntary departure, arguing that the government’s charges that Marouf engaged in terrorist activity made him ineligible.

Read more on Salon

He previously became ineligible for international selection after choosing to play his club rugby outside Wales when he left Ospreys to join Exeter in 2023, ruling him out of the World Cup that year.

Read more on BBC

Until last year, Tesla was selling cars in the U.S. with Chinese-produced LFP batteries, but since then it stopped doing so, because they became ineligible for EV-related tax credits and also due to U.S. tariffs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Local officials must enforce basic building codes inside federal flood zones—or else risk having residents declared ineligible for federal insurance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• unavailable 
• unfit 
• unqualified 
• unsuitable