unanswerable

[uhn-an-ser-uh-buhl, -ahn-]

adjective

1. not capable of being answered; not having a known or discoverable answer.

   an unanswerable question.

2. not open to dispute or rebuttal; irrefutable; conclusive.

   an unanswerable proof.

unanswerable

/ ʌnˈɑːnsərəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being refuted

2. (of a question) not admitting of any answer

Other Word Forms

• unanswerableness noun
• unanswerably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unanswerable¹

First recorded in 1605–15; un- ¹ + answerable

Example Sentences

There’s an unanswerable question behind all the discourse about the rapidly decaying condition of American democracy: Did we ever have it in the first place?

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“He speaks for the voiceless and tried his best to come up with answers to problems that seem unanswerable.”

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But the perpetually unanswerable question is whether they will be up to whatever comes next.

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The boy was sentenced to seven years in custody while the girl was given a three-year youth rehabilitation order and made subject to a six-month curfew, which Mrs Kohli said was "unanswerable".

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The daughter of an 80-year-old man who died after being racially abused and assaulted in a park has called the sentence given to his 15-year-old killer "unanswerable", adding tougher sentences for young offenders are needed.

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Related Words

• accurate 
• authentic 
• binding 
• compelling 
• conclusive 
• credible 
• good 
• lawful 
• legal 
• legitimate 
• logical 
• original 
• persuasive 
• solid 
• true 
• well-founded