unavoidable
Americanadjective
adjective
-
unable to be avoided; inevitable
-
law not capable of being declared null and void
Other Word Forms
- unavoidability noun
- unavoidableness noun
- unavoidably adverb
Etymology
Origin of unavoidable
1570–80; un- 1 + avoidable ( def. )
Explanation
Use the adjective unavoidable to describe something that you can't escape or avoid. Going to your family reunion is unavoidable if there's no way for you to get out of it. Obligations are unavoidable, since they are responsibilities that have to be honored. Letting your grandmother pinch your cheek is unavoidable, and paying your rent is also unavoidable. As you get older, it's unavoidable that your knees will get stiffer — there is no way to avoid having this happen. Unavoidable comes from the verb avoid, which is rooted in the Anglo-French avoider, "to clear out or withdraw oneself."
Vocabulary lists containing unavoidable
"Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills," Vocabulary from Module Four
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Shut Up, This Is Serious
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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.
This view was echoed in a research paper published by the Northern Ireland Assembly last month, which stated that significant revenue raising is "unavoidable".
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
UBS Group Chairman Colm Kelleher said stricter Swiss capital rules could force the bank to make unavoidable business decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
I quickly realized that the lines were unavoidable and if I really needed to go, it was usually faster to go to the porta-potties in the general admission or VIP areas.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
If you're a parent or live with a condition that makes frequent bathroom trips unavoidable, you've likely figured out which public restrooms are usable and which ones to avoid.
From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026
That same month a serious if unavoidable interruption hobbled the Landscape Department.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
