unprintable

American  

[uhn-prin-tuh-buhl] / ʌnˈprɪn tə bəl /

adjective

1. improper or unfit for print, especially because of obscenity or offensiveness.

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unprintable British  

/ ʌnˈprɪntəbəl /

adjective

1. unsuitable for printing for reasons of obscenity, libel, bad taste, etc

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Other Word Forms

• unprintableness noun
• unprintably adverb

Etymology

Origin of unprintable

First recorded in 1855–60; un- ¹ + printable

Example Sentences

The same people showering Triple H with unprintable language were likely a little bit miffed to see Cena win his inevitable third, eighth or fifteenth championship.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

I haven’t responded to my stepsister because I know it will be something unprintable if I do.

From Slate • Oct. 5, 2023

No one in Bucaramanga, it seems, is ambivalent about Mr. Hernández, and a mention of him typically elicits hyperbolic acclaim or a stream of unprintable insults.

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2022

Much of what is written on chats in condos is unprintable on a grown-up news website, let alone a children's game.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2022

But Dad hated unprintable words, and the fact that he had stood up for his son didn’t prevent him from holding a full-dress court of inquiry once he got home, and administering the called-for punishment.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey