unable

[ uhn-ey-buhl ]
See synonyms for unable on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. lacking the necessary power, competence, etc., to accomplish some specified act: He was unable to swim.

Origin of unable

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; un-1 + able

synonym study For unable

See incapable.

Words Nearby unable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unable

unable

/ (ʌnˈeɪbəl) /


adjective
  1. (postpositive foll by to) lacking the necessary power, ability, or authority (to do something); not able

  2. 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