unanswerable

[ uhn-an-ser-uh-buh l, -ahn- ]

/ ʌnˈæn sər ə bəl, -ˈɑn- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unanswerable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not capable of being answered; not having a known or discoverable answer: an unanswerable question.

not open to dispute or rebuttal; irrefutable; conclusive: an unanswerable proof.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

unamused, unaneled, unanimity, unanimous, unannounced, unanswerable, unanswered, unanticipated, unappealable, unappealing, unappetizing

Origin of unanswerable

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

Related forms

un·an·swer·a·ble·ness, nounun·an·swer·a·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unanswerable

Like most things Grammy-related, it is an unanswerable question.
Beyonce Gave the Best Grammy Awards Performance (And 8 More That Were Pretty Good, Too)|Kevin Fallon|January 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The unanswerable questions my twins often ask me, such as, “Dad, why is your ear here?”
Ma Jian: How I Write|Noah Charney|June 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is, in some sense, an unanswerable existential question.
"Tax Breaks for Corporate Jets": The Non-Issue at the Heart of the Presidential Agenda|Megan McArdle|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
MacLaine, avid spiritualist and searcher, is comfortable with the unanswerable.
Shirley MacLaine on ‘Bernie,’ ‘Downton Abbey,’ and Her Lifetime Achievments|Lorenza Muñoz|April 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

They do not inspire us into unquestioning loyalty; they sadden us and provoke the unanswerable existential question: Why?
A Very Good War|Bob Kerrey|March 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This argument was unanswerable, so Nelly made no reply, and Larry went on.
The Golden Dream|R.M. Ballantyne
“But yet, if it wasn't true, he wouldn't dare,” was the unanswerable reply.
The Wilderness Trail|Frank Williams
I mumbled some politeness in answer to his unanswerable opening, and started the one possible topic of the weather.
The Jervaise Comedy|J. D. Beresford
He shrugged his shoulders, unable apparently to gainsay this unanswerable argument.
A Bride of the Plains|Baroness Emmuska Orczy
At the conclusion of this speech every man and child felt that it was unanswerable.
Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 (of 2)|William H. Herndon

British Dictionary definitions for unanswerable

unanswerable

/ (ʌnˈɑːnsərəbəl) /

adjective

incapable of being refuted

(of a question) not admitting of any answer

Derived Forms

unanswerableness, noununanswerably, adverb

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