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Synonyms

unattainable

British  
/ ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl /

adjective

  1. not achievable or accomplishable

    an unattainable goal
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Jamie Dimon believes the American dream is becoming unattainable, and he is getting serious about trying to revive it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Gen Z feels prices are high and housing unattainable.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

Proponents of AI regulation often cite neutral AI as a goal, but true neutrality is often unattainable.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

Logically, they know the goal itself is unattainable, but the endeavour to get there can take them to new heights.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

But all those prerequisites for communal decision making become unattainable in much larger communities.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.