unthinkable

unthinkable
/un thing"keuh beuhl/, adj.
1. inconceivable; unimaginable: the unthinkable size of the universe.
2. not to be considered; out of the question: Such a suggestion is unthinkable.
n.
3. something that cannot be conceived or imagined, as something too unusual, vague, or disagreeable: Today's unthinkables are tomorrow's realities.
[1400-50; late ME; see UN-1, THINKABLE]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • unthinkable — is still used in its original meaning ‘unable to be imagined or grasped in the mind’: • You wander…in cool glades of unthinkable beauty Westminster Gazette, 1897. But far more common now is the extended and more evaluative meaning ‘too unlikely… …   Modern English usage

  • Unthinkable — (El día del juicio final en Argentina) es una película del director Gregor Jordan que cuenta con un elenco formado por Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie Anne Moss, Michael Sheen, Brandon Routh, Gil Bellows y Martin Donovan. La historia se centra en una… …   Wikipedia Español

  • unthinkable — [unthiŋ′kə bəl] adj. [ME unthenkable] 1. beyond the ability to understand or imagine; inconceivable 2. so extreme, foul, etc. as to be unfit to be imagined or considered [unthinkable war crimes] unthinkably adv …   English World dictionary

  • unthinkable — index implausible, impossible, incomprehensible, incredible, infeasible, ludicrous, prodigious (amazing) …   Law dictionary

  • unthinkable — (adj.) early 15c., too large to be conceived, unimaginable, from UN (Cf. un ) (1) not + thinkable (see THINK (Cf. think)). Meaning incapable of being framed by thought is recorded from mid 15c …   Etymology dictionary

  • unthinkable — [adj] incredible, unusual absurd, beyond belief, beyond possibility, exceptional, extraordinary, illogical, implausible, impossible, improbable, incogitable, inconceivable, insupportable, outlandish, out of the question*, preposterous, rare,… …   New thesaurus

  • unthinkable — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ too unlikely or undesirable to be considered a possibility. DERIVATIVES unthinkably adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • unthinkable — adj. 1) unthinkable to + inf. (it would be unthinkable to build a house so close to the river) 2) unthinkable that + clause (it is unthinkable that they would even make such an offer) * * * [ʌn θɪŋkəb(ə)l] unthinkable that + clause (it is… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • unthinkable — [[t]ʌnθɪ̱ŋkəb(ə)l[/t]] 1) ADJ: usu v link ADJ (emphasis) If you say that something is unthinkable, you are emphasizing that it cannot possibly be accepted or imagined as a possibility. Her strong Catholic beliefs made abortion unthinkable. Syn:… …   English dictionary

  • unthinkable — un|think|a|ble [ʌnˈθıŋkəbəl] adj 1.) impossible to accept or imagine ▪ It is unthinkable that a mistake like this could have happened. it would be unthinkable for sb to do sth ▪ It would be unthinkable for me to stay anywhere but with the family …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • unthinkable — adj. VERBS ▪ be, seem ▪ make sth ▪ consider sth ▪ This would have been considered unthinkable only a decade ago. ADVERB …   Collocations dictionary

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