What does unachievable mean?
Unachievable is an adjective meaning impossible or exceptionally difficult to achieve, as in an unachievable target or deadline. It describes a result, standard, or objective that cannot be reached under the stated circumstances. The word often appears in business, academic, political, and project-management contexts, where it can signal that expectations are unrealistic or that insufficient resources make success impossible. Its tone is formal and sometimes critical: calling something unachievable can challenge the feasibility of a proposal rather than merely describe its difficulty. In less formal language, people may say impossible, out of reach, or not feasible. Although unachievable sounds absolute, it is often used pragmatically for goals that are extremely difficult rather than literally impossible. Distinguishing it from unattainable is mainly a matter of emphasis: unachievable is especially common with goals, targets, deadlines, standards, and ambitions, while unattainable is more general and often more abstract.
adjectiveImpossible or exceptionally difficult to achieve.
- Impossible or exceptionally difficult to achieve; beyond practical reach.
"The committee set a deadline that was unachievable from the outset."
"Reaching the target within a week was plainly unachievable."
"Her first novel is not without ambition, but its emotional range can seem unachievable."
Calling something unachievable can be a verdict on a plan—or a signal that the plan itself needs to change.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unachievable come from?
Unachievable was formed in English by adding the negative prefix un- to achievable. Achievable in turn derives from achieve and the suffix -able, meaning capable of being done. The word achieve was borrowed through Old French from Latin, combining ad-, meaning to or toward, with caper, meaning to take or seize.
Related word forms
How unachievable is actually used
Formal but common in professional, academic, and planning contexts. It can sound blunt or critical, especially when describing a deadline, target, or standard.
Easily confused with unachievable
Unattainable is a more general word for something that cannot be obtained, while unachievable is especially common with goals, targets, deadlines, standards, and ambitions.