unable

adjective

un·​able ˌən-ˈā-bəl How to pronounce unable (audio)
: not able : incapable: such as

Examples of unable in a Sentence

I was unable to afford the trip. He was unable to play tennis after the injury.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The first player with three red balls lost their vote, and after a secret strategy between Mitch and Kamilla, Star was unable to cast a vote in the night's tribal council. Emily Deletter, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025 Those who were enrolled in SAVE and want to change to a different IDR plan to resume making progress toward loan forgiveness, including through PSLF, have been largely unable to do so. Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Most of his job relies around making high-stakes decisions and solving problems other people have been unable to fix, Pichai said at a Stanford Business School speaking event in April 2022. Megan Sauer, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 But lawyers with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and ACLU of Michigan were unable to locate people in detention or who had been held there. Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unable

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unable was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unable. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

unable

adjective
un·​able ˌən-ˈā-bəl How to pronounce unable (audio)
ˈən-
: not able : incapable

More from Merriam-Webster on unable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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