unthinkable
Americanadjective
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inconceivable; unimaginable.
the unthinkable size of the universe.
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not to be considered; out of the question.
Such a suggestion is unthinkable.
noun
adjective
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not to be contemplated; out of the question
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unimaginable; inconceivable
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unreasonable; improbable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unthinkable
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at un- 1, thinkable
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 now Arm is doing the once unthinkable: making a data center CPU of its own, for the first time competing directly with its customers.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
These cases are often framed as shocking, unthinkable tragedies—aberrations no one could have predicted.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026
“It was almost unthinkable in the 1980s that two men or two women could legally marry under California law,” said Matsumura, the Loyola professor.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
Completely free trade makes sense only in a world where disruption is unthinkable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Just before the voyage, in January 1941, the unthinkable happened.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
