unobtainable
adjective
un·ob·tain·able
ˌən-əb-ˈtā-nə-bəl 
-äb-
: not capable of being obtained : not available : not obtainable
an unobtainable objective
a gem so rare as to be virtually unobtainable
Examples of unobtainable in a Sentence
that information is unobtainable as long as my computer is down
Recent Examples on the Web
In his case, the beloved was the unobtainable Beatrice Portinari, a wealthy banker’s daughter whom Dante claimed to have loved from their first meeting, when both were children—a bit of charming self-mythology—and steadily on until her untimely death, at twenty-four.
—
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Phoenix deservedly earned most of the accolades, but Reeves is terrific as an unobtainable object of affection — inviting, enticing but unknowable.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Getting that balance is pretty much unobtainable.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
However, ambiguities in the law and the complexities of implementing a program made that date unobtainable.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unobtainable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Phoenix deservedly earned most of the accolades, but Reeves is terrific as an unobtainable object of affection — inviting, enticing but unknowable.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Getting that balance is pretty much unobtainable.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
However, ambiguities in the law and the complexities of implementing a program made that date unobtainable.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unobtainable
Cite this Entry
“Unobtainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unobtainable. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share