unaffordable

American  

[uhn-uh-fawrd-uh-buhl] / ʌn əˈfɔrd ə bəl /

adjective

1. too high in price to afford.

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Explanation

If something is unaffordable, it's too expensive. A house that costs millions of dollars is unaffordable for almost everyone. This adjective often describes things that cost too much money for the average person, like unaffordable rents in a particular city or unaffordable health care. When you can afford something, it's within financial reach; you can manage to purchase it. Unaffordable things are priced too high for your budget or bank account, like those ultra-rare sneakers you covet.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unaffordable

Because housing has become such an unaffordable asset, wealth experts are now pointing to more accessible ways to build net worth than home ownership.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

"But if we were to accept this increase it would double our IT spend for the year, which is completely unaffordable."

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Infant tuition for two had already been unaffordable, so the family placed the 1-year-olds with a nanny instead, at $7,000 a month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

According to the county’s letter, in June the district ratified agreements with its unions despite repeated warnings by county officials that the contracts are unaffordable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

The January price liberalization and a blossoming of private vendors filled shelves across the country with previously scarce food items and consumer goods, but wages lagged behind inflation, making such goods unaffordable for many consumers.

From The 1993 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency