Standard Lemma guide

unattainable

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˌɐnəˈtæɪnəbəl/
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N AH0 T EY1 N AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Impossible to attain or reach; unable to accomplish

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inaccessible, unobtainable, unapproachable

Antonyms: attainable

2

noun

Meaning 2

Anything that cannot be attained.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

impossible to achieve

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an unattainable goal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unachievable, undoable, unrealizable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English attain Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English unattainable From un- + attain + -able.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: недостижим (nedostižim) — impossible to attain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 高不可攀的 — impossible to attain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不可企及的 — impossible to attain
  • Czech: nedosažitelný — impossible to attain
  • Czech: nedostupný — impossible to attain
  • Danish: uopnåelig — impossible to attain
  • Dutch: onbereikbaar — impossible to attain
  • Finnish: saavuttamaton — impossible to attain
  • French: inatteignable — impossible to attain
  • German: unerreichbar — impossible to attain
  • German: nicht machbar — impossible to attain
  • Greek: ανέφικτος (anéfiktos) — impossible to attain
  • Italian: inattingibile — impossible to attain
  • Latin: inaccessus — impossible to attain
  • Manx: gyn roshtyn — impossible to attain
  • Manx: neuroshtynagh — impossible to attain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uoppnåelig — impossible to attain
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uoppnåeleg — impossible to attain
  • Polish: niedosięgły — impossible to attain
  • Polish: niedosiężny — impossible to attain
  • Polish: nieosiągalny — impossible to attain
  • Polish: niedostępny — impossible to attain
  • Polish: niedościgły — impossible to attain
  • Portuguese: inatingível — impossible to attain
  • Portuguese: inalcançável — impossible to attain
  • Russian: недостижи́мый (nedostižímyj) — impossible to attain
  • Russian: недоступный (nedostupnyj) — impossible to attain
  • Spanish: inconseguible — impossible to attain
  • Spanish: inalcanzable — impossible to attain
  • Swedish: ouppnåelig — impossible to attain