unable

[ uhn-ey-buh l ]
/ ʌnˈeɪ bəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR unable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

lacking the necessary power, competence, etc., to accomplish some specified act: He was unable to swim.

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Origin of unable

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at un-1, able

Words nearby unable

una, una corda, una corda pedal, unabashed, unabated, unable, unabridged, unaccented, unacceptable, unaccommodated, unaccompanied
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to unable

weak, impotent, unfit, incapable, inadequate, helpless, powerless, clumsy, incapacitated, incompetent, ineffectual, inefficacious, inefficient, inept, inoperative, unqualified, unskilled, impuissant, unfitted

Example sentences from the Web for unable

British Dictionary definitions for unable

unable
/ (ʌnˈeɪbəl) /

adjective

(postpositive foll by to) lacking the necessary power, ability, or authority (to do something); not able
archaic incompetent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012