nonviable

[non-vahy-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not capable of living, growing, and developing, as an embryo, seed, or plant.

2. not practicable or workable.

   a nonviable plan.

Other Word Forms

• nonviability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonviable¹

First recorded in 1875–80; non- + viable

Example Sentences

Main said ProPublica’s analysis suggested to him that “physicians are sitting on nonviable pregnancies longer and longer before they’re doing a D&C — until patients are really bleeding.”

From Salon

"However, the issue for decades has been that the catalysts required to carry out this reaction deactivate quickly under reaction conditions, making this reaction nonviable on an industrial scale."

From Science Daily

In 2022, Texas enacted laws that prohibit all abortions except when the life or health of the pregnant patient is at risk, including an exception to terminate ectopic pregnancies, which are always nonviable and life-threatening.

From Salon

Pregnant women are being forced to cross state lines to terminate nonviable pregnancies.

From Salon

The other 19 plaintiffs shared similar stories of being denied abortions in Texas despite carrying risky or nonviable pregnancies.

From BBC

Related Words

• absurd 
• illogical 
• impossible 
• improbable 
• quixotic 
• speculative 
• unattainable 
• unreal 
• unusable 
• unwise 
• unworkable 
• useless