inapplicable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈæplɪkəbəl/ UK /ɪnˈæplɪkəbəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
not relevant or appropriate to a particular situation

The old regulation is inapplicable to digital transactions.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not relevant or appropriate... irrelevant unsuitable inappropriate unrelated extraneous

Opposites

applicable relevant appropriate pertinent

Word family

Derived forms inapplicabilityinapplicably

Related forms applicable apply application

Etymology

From in- ('not') + applicable, from apply, from Latin applicare ('to attach to, apply'), from ad- ('to') + plicare ('to fold').

applicare Latin plicare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# inapplicable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ɪnˈæplɪkəbəl
**IPA (UK):** ɪnˈæplɪkəbəl

## Meanings
1. not relevant or appropriate to a particular situation

## Examples
- The old regulation is inapplicable to digital transactions.

## Synonyms
- irrelevant
- unsuitable
- inappropriate
- unrelated
- extraneous

## Antonyms
- applicable
- relevant
- appropriate
- pertinent

## Derived Forms
- inapplicability
- inapplicably

## Related Forms
- applicable
- apply
- application

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: applicare
- Root: plicare

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + applicable, from apply, from Latin applicare ('to attach to, apply'), from ad- ('to') + plicare ('to fold').

## AI Etymology
inapplicable comes from in- ('not') + applicable, from apply, from Latin applicare ('to attach to, apply'), from ad- ('to') + plicare ('to fold'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "not relevant or appropriate to a particular situation", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as applicable, apply, and application, and in derivatives such as inapplicability and inapplicably. Its semantic neighborhood includes irrelevant, unsuitable, inappropriate, and unrelated, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin applicare and Latin plicare.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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