What does unobtainable mean?
Unobtainable is an adjective meaning that something cannot be obtained, acquired, or made available. It may describe a literal impossibility, such as a document that no longer exists, or a situation in which something is technically possible but practically very difficult. The word is especially useful when describing scarce, restricted, lost, or outdated items: a first edition may be rare but still obtainable, whereas another copy might be described as virtually unobtainable. Its force comes from combining the ordinary idea of obtaining something with the English prefix un-, which negates that possibility. In formal writing, unobtainable often conveys that the thing has become inaccessible through circumstances rather than that it was never intended to exist. The word can also describe information, evidence, permission, or solutions that cannot be secured. Across British and American English, it is widely understood, though alternatives such as unavailable and unattainable may sound less absolute in some contexts.
adjectiveNot able to be obtained; impossible or extremely difficult to acquire.
- Impossible or extremely difficult to obtain, acquire, or make available.
"The manuscript's original edition is now practically unobtainable."
"Rare records from the early period have become virtually unobtainable."
"The committee concluded that a satisfactory explanation was unobtainable within the available time."
A simple stack of English building blocks transforms the idea of being able to obtain something into something that cannot be obtained at all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unobtainable come from?
Unobtainable was formed in English by combining the prefix un-, meaning 'not,' with obtain and the suffix -able. Obtain comes through Old French obtenir from Latin obtinere, a verb meaning 'to hold, obtain, or keep,' formed from ob- and tenere, 'to hold.' The same Latin root appears in related English forms such as obtainable and obtainment, while the un- formation follows ordinary English negation patterns.
How unobtainable is actually used
The word has a formal tone and can describe anything that cannot be obtained in practice, whether literally impossible or merely exceptionally scarce. It is often intensified by words such as virtually, practically, and effectively.