unacceptable

B2 Topic:Ethics & Social Judgment

Also spelled unacceptabobble

US /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/ UK /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #8393

Meanings

1

adj
So bad or wrong that it cannot be allowed or approved.

The coach told the players that defeat was unacceptable.
2

adj
Not good enough; failing to satisfy.

The hotel's dirty rooms were completely unacceptable.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

inacceptable

Opposites

acceptable

Word family

Derived forms unacceptablenessunacceptably

Common collocations

ethically unacceptable Adverb + adjective

Etymology

From Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable.

*keh₂p- Proto-Indo-European unacceptabylle Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Ethics & Social Judgment

External links

# unacceptable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 8393

## Meanings
1. So bad or wrong that it cannot be allowed or approved.
2. Not good enough; failing to satisfy.

## Examples
- The coach told the players that defeat was unacceptable.
- The hotel's dirty rooms were completely unacceptable.

## Synonyms
- inacceptable

## Antonyms
- acceptable

## Derived Forms
- unacceptableness
- unacceptably

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *keh₂p-
- Root: unacceptabylle

## Etymology
From Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable.

## AI Etymology
Unacceptable is from Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p-, Middle English unacceptabylle. The surface analysis is Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable. The prefix un- supplies the negative or reversive element. In present-day use, it can mean so bad or wrong that it cannot be allowed or approved, or not good enough; failing to satisfy. Derived formations include unacceptableness, unacceptably.

## Topics
- Ethics & Social Judgment

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