What does unanswerability mean?
Unanswerability is a formal noun naming the quality or state of being unable to be answered. It is most often used of questions, arguments, or problems where available evidence is insufficient, a response is impossible, or a speaker refuses to engage. The noun can imply either a practical limitation or a deliberate refusal to provide an answer, so context determines whether it describes a logical impasse or evasiveness. Because it makes a fairly abstract quality sound concrete, writers often use it in discussions of philosophy, ethics, law, and communication. In ordinary conversation, “that is unanswerable” is usually more direct and natural than explicitly naming the quality itself. The term is nevertheless useful when discussing an issue at a more analytical level. It can signal that the difficulty lies in the question itself rather than in a listener’s failure to understand an answer.
nounThe quality or state of being unable to be answered, especially because a question is impossible to resolve or a person refuses to respond.
- The quality or condition of a question, problem, or situation being impossible or unwilling to be answered.
"The committee acknowledged the unanswerability of the question without offering a speculative answer."
"The ambiguity of the evidence created an unanswerability that no amount of additional research could resolve."
"The prosecutor invoked the constitutional unanswerability of the request rather than disclose confidential information."
Usually used as a mass noun, but a rare plural form is possible when referring to multiple distinct instances of being unanswerable.
"The study examined several unanswerabilities arising from incomplete historical records."
Some questions cannot merely be ignored: their unanswerability may be the very point.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unanswerability come from?
Unanswerability was formed in English from un-, answer, and the suffix -ability, meaning the quality of being unanswerable. Answer comes from Old English andwær, related to words such as Dutch antwoord and German Antwort. The negative prefix and the noun-forming suffix were added during the modern development of English to express the impossibility or inadmissibility of an answer.
How unanswerability is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon noun. It is normally used in analytical or specialist contexts and may describe either a genuine logical impasse or a deliberate refusal to answer. In everyday speech, unanswerable is usually more natural.
Easily confused with unanswerability
Unanswerability is the noun naming the quality of being unable to answer, whereas unanswerable is the adjective describing a question that cannot be answered.