unacceptable
Britishadjective
-
not satisfactory; inadequate
the standard was wholly unacceptable
-
intolerable
hitting children is unacceptable
Explanation
Something unacceptable is not okay — it's objectionable or displeasing. Hey, are you yelling in the library? That's unacceptable! If a student's behavior is unacceptable, she may get detention or be sent to the principal's office. And if a restaurant patron's meal is unacceptable, he has every right to ask his server for something else. The adjective unacceptable adds the "not" prefix un- to acceptable, "suitable, adequate, or pleasing." We can trace the roots back to the Latin acceptare, "take or receive willingly."
Vocabulary lists containing unacceptable
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.
An MOJ spokesperson said, ""Having a phone behind bars is unacceptable.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
However, it does allow for circumstances where trans women - born biologically male - could be housed alongside women if they are deemed not to pose an unacceptable risk to them.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Tehran considers the flag unacceptable and had threatened to halt the match if such banners were brought into the stadium.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
Spurs fans in the city were also targeted during the game, which the Texas team's top player Victor Wembanyama condemned as "unacceptable."
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
And it wasn’t like she had a variety of wardrobe options anyway if for some reason her jeans and hoodie were socially unacceptable.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
