unavoidable

[uhn-uh-voi-duh-buhl]

adjective

1. unable to be avoided; inevitable.

   an unavoidable delay.

   Synonyms: certain, sure, fated, unpreventable, inescapable

unavoidable

/ ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl /

adjective

1. unable to be avoided; inevitable

2. law not capable of being declared null and void

Other Word Forms

• unavoidably adverb
• unavoidability noun
• unavoidableness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unavoidable¹

1570–80; un- ¹ + avoidable ( def. )

Example Sentences

During the following decades, exhibitions often revealed a tug-of-war between opposing sensibilities—fissures perhaps unavoidable in a contentious democracy’s national museums—but in this century, a particular ideological bent has become dominant.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A fault tolerant quantum computer is one that can correct the small, unavoidable errors that arise in computation and consistently deliver reliable results.

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His family released a statement saying he had loved the ocean despite its risks, and called his death "a tragic and unavoidable accident".

Read more on BBC

The key to longevity, many said, is how you manage the rejection, instability and heartbreak that are unavoidable in the industry.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a memo to members on Monday, the Assn. of Flight Attendants stated that furloughs were unavoidable at this stage of the bankruptcy process.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• certain 
• inescapable 
• inevitable 
• necessary 
• obligatory