unavoidable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl/ UK /ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to avoid or prevent; inevitable

Some delay during construction was unavoidable.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to avoid or... inevitable inescapable certainunpreventableineluctable necessary

Opposites

avoidable preventableescapable

Word family

Derived forms unavoidablyunavoidableness

Related forms avoid avoidable avoidance

Etymology

From un- ('not') + avoidable. Avoid derives from Anglo-French avoider, from Old French esvuidier ('to empty out'), from es- ('out') + vuidier ('to empty'), from vuit ('empty').

un- Old English esvuidier Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unavoidable

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

## Meanings
1. impossible to avoid or prevent; inevitable

## Examples
- Some delay during construction was unavoidable.

## Synonyms
- inevitable
- inescapable
- certain
- unpreventable
- ineluctable
- necessary

## Antonyms
- avoidable
- preventable
- escapable

## Derived Forms
- unavoidably
- unavoidableness

## Related Forms
- avoid
- avoidable
- avoidance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: esvuidier

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + avoidable. Avoid derives from Anglo-French avoider, from Old French esvuidier ('to empty out'), from es- ('out') + vuidier ('to empty'), from vuit ('empty').

## AI Etymology
Unavoidable is from un- ('not') + avoidable. Avoid derives from Anglo-French avoider, from Old French esvuidier ('to empty out'), from es- ('out') + vuidier ('to empty'), from vuit ('empty'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English) and esvuidier (Old French). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers impossible to avoid or prevent; inevitable. The wider family includes derived forms such as unavoidably and unavoidableness and related words such as avoid, avoidable, and avoidance.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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