adj · noun · 4 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
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/ˌʌnəˈvɔɪdəbəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH2 N AH0 V OY1 D AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Impossible to avoid; bound to happen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
an unavoidable urge
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not voidable; incapable of being made null or void.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Something that cannot be avoided.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
impossible to avoid or evade:
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inescapable conclusion
an ineluctable destiny
an unavoidable accident
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ineluctable, inescapable
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English unavoidable, equivalent to un- + avoidable.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
وَاجِب
(wājib)
— impossible to avoid
Belarusian:
непазбе́жны
(njepazbjéžny)
— impossible to avoid
Belarusian:
няміну́чы
(njaminúčy)
— impossible to avoid
Bengali:
ওয়াজিব
(ōẇajibo)
— impossible to avoid
Catalan:
inevitable
— impossible to avoid
Chinese Mandarin:
不可避免的
(bùkě bìmiǎn de)
— impossible to avoid
Chinese Mandarin:
免不了
(miǎnbuliǎo)
— impossible to avoid
Czech:
nevyhnutelný
— impossible to avoid
Danish:
uundgåelig
— impossible to avoid
Dutch:
onvermijdelijk
— impossible to avoid
Dutch:
onontkoombaar
— impossible to avoid
Estonian:
vältimatu
— impossible to avoid
Faroese:
óundansleppandi
— impossible to avoid
Faroese:
óundankomandi
— impossible to avoid
Finnish:
väistämätön
— impossible to avoid
French:
inévitable
— impossible to avoid
Galician:
inevitable
— impossible to avoid
Galician:
inevitábel
— impossible to avoid
German:
unausweichlich
— impossible to avoid
German:
unvermeidlich
— impossible to avoid
German:
unvermeidbar
— impossible to avoid
Greek:
αναπόφευκτος
(anapófefktos)
— impossible to avoid
Greek:
άφευκτος
(áfefktos)
— impossible to avoid
Ancient Greek:
ἀναπόδραστος
(anapódrastos)
— impossible to avoid
Hebrew:
בלתי־נמנע
(biltí-nimná)
— impossible to avoid
Hindi:
अपरिहार्य
(aprihārya)
— impossible to avoid
Hungarian:
elkerülhetetlen
— impossible to avoid
Icelandic:
óumflýjanlegur
— impossible to avoid
Italian:
inevitabile
— impossible to avoid
Japanese:
不可避な
(fukahi na)
— impossible to avoid
Japanese:
やむを得ない
(yamu wo enai)
— impossible to avoid