unanswerable

adjective

un·​an·​swer·​able
ˌən-ˈan(t)s-rə-bəl,
-ˈan(t)-sə- How to pronounce unanswerable (audio)
: not capable of being answered
also : irrefutable
unanswerability
ˌən-ˌan(t)s-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē
-ˌan(t)-sə- How to pronounce unanswerable (audio)
noun
unanswerably
ˌən-ˈan(t)s-rə-blē
-ˈan(t)-sə- How to pronounce unanswerable (audio)
adverb

Examples of unanswerable in a Sentence

the unanswerable assertion that she didn't know much about art but she knew what she liked
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.
Efforts to codify these differences started with simple yet initially unanswerable questions: Are ebikes legal in bike lanes? Matt Jancer, WIRED, 5 Oct. 2023 That’s a fundamental, perhaps unanswerable, question. Sean Illing, Vox, 10 Oct. 2024 Like other posthumous releases by trailblazers from Jimi Hendrix to J Dilla, this one is haunted by unanswerable questions. Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024 There’s no shortage of stories to tell, or unanswerable questions to ask. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unanswerable 

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unanswerable was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near unanswerable

Cite this Entry

“Unanswerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unanswerable. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

unanswerable

adjective
un·​an·​swer·​able ˌən-ˈan(t)s-(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce unanswerable (audio)
ˈən-
: not answerable
especially : irrefutable
the arguments were unanswerable

More from Merriam-Webster on unanswerable

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