unanswerable

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

/ ʌnˈæn sər ə bəl, -ˈɑn- /

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See 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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of unanswerable

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

OTHER WORDS FROM unanswerable

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

Words nearby unanswerable

unaneled, unanimity, unanimous, unanimously, unannounced, unanswerable, unanswered, unanticipated, unapologetic, unapologetically, unappealable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unanswerable in a sentence

Sometimes it feels as if he’s drowning under the weight of all the unanswerable questions.
One family’s harrowing escape from the collapsing condo building: ‘Run, fast!’|Brittany Shammas|July 1, 2021|Washington Post
Many died because they could not get enough oxygen or other treatment, leaving their families with the unanswerable question of whether their relatives might have been saved with proper care.
These twins are 5 years old. They lost both parents to covid-19.|Joanna Slater|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
The reason science and engineering have advanced is because we bracketed the problem of consciousness as something unanswerable.
Literature Should Be Taught Like Science - Issue 97: Wonder|Kevin Berger|February 24, 2021|Nautilus
In a pandemic that’s been filled with unanswerable questions and unwinnable wars, this is our daily Kobayashi Maru.
Every Decision Is A Risk. Every Risk Is A Decision.|Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com)|July 21, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

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
In the end, precisely how many enslaved people the document alone actually freed remains unanswerable.
A Mighty Act: The 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation|Harold Holzer|January 1, 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
"The authority of Mademoiselle de La Vauvraye," was the unanswerable rejoinder.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
This question, looked upon as unanswerable by many of those who ask it, is really of minor importance.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
And thus, in part, was answered Mr. Cushing's apparently unanswerable exclamation: "What possible chance can the South have?"
The Supplies for the Confederate Army|Caleb Huse
She spoke with a sense of knowing that she had propounded an unanswerable question.
Patchwork|Anna Balmer Myers
Of the last, I shall afford an unanswerable proof from my own person.
Baboo Jabberjee, B.A.|F. Anstey

British Dictionary definitions for unanswerable

unanswerable

/ (ʌnˈɑːnsərəbəl) /

adjective

incapable of being refuted

(of a question) not admitting of any answer

Derived forms of unanswerable

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

unanswerable

Origin of unanswerable

OTHER WORDS FROM unanswerable

Words nearby unanswerable

Words related to unanswerable

How to use unanswerable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unanswerable

Derived forms of unanswerable