SKIP TO CONTENT

unanswerable

/ˈʌnˌænsərəbəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: unanswerably

If there is no possibly way to respond to a question, it's unanswerable. "What is the meaning of life?" is an unanswerable question.

Some questions are answerable, like "Who was the first person to walk on the moon?" and "What is your name?" Others are too complex or unknowable to be answered, like the unanswerable question, "Who is the happiest person in the world?" Both answerable and unanswerable trace their roots to the Old English answarian, "make an answer in reply."

Definitions of unanswerable
  1. adjective
    impossible to answer
    “an unanswerable argument”
    synonyms:
    incontestable, incontestible
    incapable of being contested or disputed
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘unanswerable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family