not acceptable
44
2.2
- idiom
:
inaceptable
- It is not acceptable to throw tantrums in public places.
- not acceptable behavior
- not acceptable to use
- not acceptable practice
And for us, that's not acceptable.
- And for us, that's not acceptable.
- So we deem certain traits acceptable and other ones not acceptable.
- He says it's mostly OK, though he still likes to use Windows when it's not acceptable, like in a server.
- And this was the opportunity to draw the line at what were and were not acceptable practices for French citizens.
- Judge Myerson spends more time discussing the context in which silence on the part of a seller is not acceptable.
- And I would like to see the community itself begin to speak out very vocally that this is not acceptable.
- It's like we're going to criticize you and tear down your statue because you were doing what was acceptable at the time because it is not acceptable now.
- It can feel awful to be on the receiving end of anger that was generated by a person from your partner's past, and it's also not acceptable.
- And the message to the child is you're not acceptable when you have that emotion.
Examples
-
Students need to understand that these clothes are not acceptable at most work sites.
Academic text (1995) -
Well, I'm sorry, but that's just not acceptable.
-
This is just not acceptable in this day and age.
-
In daily life, it is not acceptable for individuals to harm others.
Academic text (1997) -
Most people know and agree that hostile sexism is not acceptable.
Academic text (2013) -
He was destroying our morale, so we let him know this kind of behavior was not acceptable.
-
It is not acceptable to throw tantrums in public places.
-
Students need to understand that these clothes are not acceptable at most work sites.
-
Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Not suitable for a particular time or purpose
354
3.7
Not right for a situation or event
256
3.2
Not good enough or not allowed by rules
102
4.6
Not allowed to enter, use, or talk about
100
4.1
Not suitable according to normal rules or standards
96
3.2
Not allowed by law, rules, or custom
69
4.7
Not accepted by law or no longer in effect
56
2.7
Not possible or allowed to do
51
3.7
Not suitable for a particular job or use
31
6.7
Causing people to feel offended or want to protest
20
2.6
Not right for a person, place, or purpose
16
2.3
Damaged or broken so it does not work
15
6.7
Not suitable for a situation or for what people expect
6
7.7
Not allowed by rules, laws, or official standards
1
5.3
Not approved by most people or by an official group
1
3.7
Not allowed by law or by an authority
1
6.4
Not allowed by rules or laws
1
7.0
Not following the usual rules for size, shape, or quality so it may not fit other things
1
9.1
Likely to offend or upset people
Not suitable for a person or situation
Not allowed by law or by people in charge
Made without following an official or usual rule
Antonyms
How Acceptable
203
4.2
172
1.8
477
2.5
62
5.3
44
2.2
42
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'not allowed / not meeting standards' is directly derivable by combining the negator 'not' with the adjective 'acceptable' — a straightforward negation of the adjective. This is a common compositional pattern across languages and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Not acceptable is a simple image: something cannot be accepted or is not good enough. Imagine a teacher crossing out bad homework and saying it is not acceptable — that picture shows why it means 'not allowed' or 'not meeting the rules'.