ungovernable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ungovernable
1665–75; un- 1 + governable ( def. )
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.
But the Islamist insurgency has continued, and has made much of the north and east of the country ungovernable.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
A snap legislative election last year produced an ungovernable National Assembly split three ways.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
Meanwhile, the ocean itself plays its ungovernable part.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025
He was ungovernable and thrill-seeking, traits that, on the set, gave his performances authenticity but that also led him to squander opportunities.
From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2024
Oliver Tambo and the ANC had called for the people of South Africa to render the country ungovernable, and the people were obliging.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
