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Synonyms

unacceptable

British  
/ ˌʌnəkˈsɛptəbəl /

adjective

  1. not satisfactory; inadequate

    the standard was wholly unacceptable

  2. intolerable

    hitting children is unacceptable
"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pope Leo XIV said that "this threat against all the people of Iran" was "truly unacceptable."

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Pope Leo, the first American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo: "Today... there was this threat against all the people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Blackmore admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, and failing to maintain professional boundaries, on 24 March.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

EPA chief Lee Zeldin visited Los Angeles with the head of the Small Business Administration to address what they called unacceptable delays in granting building permits after last year’s devastating fires.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I said it was unacceptable for Mr. de Klerk to speak to us in such language.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.