inedible

American  

[in-ed-uh-buhl] / ɪnˈɛd ə bəl /

adjective

1. not edible; unfit to be eaten.

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inedible British  

/ ɪnˈɛdɪbəl /

adjective

1. not fit to be eaten; uneatable

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Other Word Forms

• inedibility noun

Etymology

Origin of inedible

First recorded in 1815–25; in- ³ + edible

Explanation

The adjective inedible is good for describing a food that cannot be eaten, like your grandmother's burnt toast, or an object that shouldn't be eaten, like your snow boots. Some things are literally inedible, like your dining room table or a cast iron skillet, while others are described as inedible in a more figurative way: "I can't stand cilantro — now this taco is totally inedible!" The word has been around since the early 1800s to mean "unfit to eat," combining the Latin prefix in, which means "not" or "the opposite," with edibilis, "eatable" in Late Latin.

Example Sentences

The trader said he lost $60,000 last month after a container he imported from Kenya was impounded at the Congolese border for several weeks, rendering milk, cheese and sausages inedible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

The food was often inedible, and the water was discolored.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

Residents at some Clearsprings sites have told the BBC of poor conditions inside their hotels, and sent us photos and video diaries of the food provided, describing some of it as "inedible".

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

Gutierrez and her husband Randy Ziglar, who’ve grown mixed produce and inedible plants at their Main Street plot for more than 40 years, don’t have a problem paying the extra fees, she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2025

Breakfast was sausage, which he could not eat, and scrambled eggs, which were nearly inedible.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers