inviable

American  

[in-vahy-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈvaɪ ə bəl /

adjective

Biology.

1. (of an organism) incapable of sustaining its own life.

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inviable British  

/ ɪnˈvaɪəbəl /

adjective

1. not viable, esp financially; not able to survive

   an inviable company

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Other Word Forms

• inviability noun
• inviably adverb

Etymology

Origin of inviable

First recorded in 1915–20; in- ³ + viable

Explanation

If something is inviable, it can't survive or function as it should. An inviable animal, plant, or cell will not live long enough to mature or reproduce, and an inviable business will soon fail because it can't pay its bills. Inviable is the opposite of viable, which may be a more familiar word. Many things can be inviable. An inviable seed will not grow if it is planted, and a bird's egg that is inviable will not hatch. Things that people create or plan can also be inviable. A school's sports program will be inviable if nobody wants to participate, or if there's no money for equipment, or if it's impossible for teams to practice because of scheduling conflicts.

Example Sentences

Constantly breaking down protein aggregates is an inviable strategy, as it requires using a high amount of energy that may not be available.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2024

A cortical reaction would occur if multiple sperm combine with an egg, resulting in a genetically inviable embryo.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Forty-two eggs in the nest were found to be "inviable or destroyed" while 22 were found to be "damaged but potentially viable," and were transferred to incubators.

From Fox News • Mar. 17, 2022

Kevin Young: Well it’s sort of myth and connection but also that these things aren’t inviable.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 20, 2019

A Globovision employee who declined to be named said management described the business as "economically, legally and politically inviable".

From Reuters • Mar. 12, 2013