adj · 2 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ʌnˈɹɛkə(ɡ)naɪzəbəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ʌnˈɹɛkəɡnaɪzəbəl/
General-American, nonstandard:/ʌnˈɹɛkənaɪzəbəl/
obsolete:/ʌnɹɪˈkɒɡnɪzəbəl/
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N R EH2 K AH0 G N AY1 Z AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
That cannot be recognized, especially because of substantial changes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: British, English, Oxford, US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: irrecognizable
Antonyms: recognizable
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
defying recognition as e.g. because of damage or alteration
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unrecognisable
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- Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English cognize English recognize 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 unrecognizable From un- + recognize + -able.
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
tanınmaz
— that cannot be recognized
Bulgarian:
неузнаваем
(neuznavaem)
— that cannot be recognized
Catalan:
irreconeixible
— that cannot be recognized
Chinese Mandarin:
无法辨认的
— that cannot be recognized
Chinese Mandarin:
未被认可的
— that cannot be recognized
Chinese Mandarin:
未被承认的
— that cannot be recognized
Danish:
uigenkendelig
— that cannot be recognized
Danish:
ugenkendelig
— that cannot be recognized
Danish:
ukendelig
— that cannot be recognized
Dutch:
onherkenbaar
— that cannot be recognized
Esperanto:
nerekonebla
— that cannot be recognized
Faroese:
ókenniligur
— that cannot be recognized
Finnish:
tunnistamaton
— that cannot be recognized
French:
méconnaissable
— that cannot be recognized
Galician:
irrecoñecible
— that cannot be recognized
Galician:
irrecoñecíbel
— that cannot be recognized
German:
unerkennbar
— that cannot be recognized
German:
unkenntlich
— that cannot be recognized
German:
nicht wiederzuerkennen
— that cannot be recognized
Greek:
αγνώριστος
(agnóristos)
— that cannot be recognized
Hungarian:
felismerhetetlen
— that cannot be recognized
Icelandic:
ókennilegur
— that cannot be recognized
Italian:
irriconoscibile
— that cannot be recognized
Polish:
nierozpoznawalny
— that cannot be recognized
Portuguese:
irreconhecível
— that cannot be recognized
Russian:
неузнава́емый
(neuznavájemyj)
— that cannot be recognized
Slovak:
nerozpoznateľný
— that cannot be recognized
Spanish:
irreconocible
— that cannot be recognized
Swedish:
oigenkännlig
— that cannot be recognized
Ukrainian:
невпізна́нний
(nevpiznánnyj)
— that cannot be recognized
Ukrainian:
невпізна́ваний
(nevpiznávanyj)
— that cannot be recognized