unexceptionable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unexceptionableness noun
- unexceptionably adverb
Etymology
Origin of unexceptionable
First recorded in 1655–65; un- 1 + exceptionable
Explanation
If something is unexceptionable, don't bother trying to find something wrong with it — you won't. Your unexceptionable character makes you the perfect candidate to run for public office, but if you run, people will be looking for things to criticize. If you break it down, exceptionable describes something objectionable or unacceptable. Put an un on it, for “not,” and unexceptionable is something no one can object to. If your baking is unexceptionable, your muffins are light and fluffy and melt in your mouth. In this arena, even a top baker would be unable to find fault. As for your run for public office, if your character is truly unexceptionable, you won’t mind those reporters snooping around!
Vocabulary lists containing unexceptionable
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“While we find no reliable data to measure the phenomenon, it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice,” he said in his opinion.
From Scientific American • Oct. 28, 2021
Sir John said while it was an "unexceptionable" statement it had a huge impact and was a useful thing to do.
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2021
Mr. Abraham’s “Dearest Home,” by contrast, is an unexceptionable study in liberal-orthodox behavior by people we might well know in New York.
From New York Times • Oct. 1, 2018
The one unexceptionable exception is a February 2001 op-ed by Richard Reeves, who borrows Nader’s signature phrase in order to poke fun at “Georgy Boy Bush, the giver of nicknames for all he meets.”
From Salon • Sep. 20, 2018
Unfortunately, this theory would also retroactively outlaw choreograph, diagnose, resurrect, edit, sculpt, sleepwalk, and hundreds of other verbs that have become completely unexceptionable.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
