Skip to main content
inaccessible

inaccessible

28 7.9
Not able to be reached, used, or understood
  • adjective
  • /ˌɪnəkˈsɛsəbl/
translation icon : inaccesible
  • We are prisoners of the present, forever transitioning from our inaccessible past to our unknowable future.
  • previously inaccessible
  • inaccessible areas
  • largely inaccessible

The Saudi Yemeni border is inaccessible to most journalists and NGOs.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Deep underground lies stores of once inaccessible natural gas.

  • The Saudi Yemeni border is inaccessible to most journalists and NGOs.

  • The high country above the valley was mostly inaccessible by car since the roads are closed all winter.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Not only was college inaccessible to working people, but the college culture was foreign as well.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Her location is as remote as it is inaccessible.

  • But most of the first billion years of cosmic history have been inaccessible to direct observation.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Due to their overwhelmingly visual content, movies are usually considered inaccessible to blind people.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Now, in order to find these giant manta rays, we went to all different parts of the Big Island, even some pretty inaccessible places.

  • The mountain's peak is completely inaccessible during the winter months due to heavy snowfall.

  • Most of the ancient manuscripts are inaccessible to researchers because they are kept in a private collection.

Synonyms

unintelligible
vsinaccessible
8.6

Not clear enough to understand

is broader and also applies to things that cannot be entered or obtained
unavailable
vsinaccessible
81 3.4

Not able to be used, reached, or bought

is broader and also covers things impossible to understand or enter
incomprehensible
vsinaccessible
46 8.8

Difficult or impossible to understand

focuses on lack of understanding rather than physical or practical access
out of reach
vsinaccessible
38 4.0

Too far or too expensive for most people to get

is more general, also used about things impossible to understand or use
unattainable
vsinaccessible
18 6.3

Not possible to get or reach

is broader and applies also to things that cannot be understood or entered
unreachable
vsinaccessible
15 4.9

Too difficult to get to because of where or how it is

is broader, also used about things that cannot be entered, used, or understood
impenetrable
vsinaccessible
14 8.3

Very hard to understand

is broader and also applies to physical barriers that block entry
impassable
vsinaccessible
13 5.3

A road, path, or area you cannot travel through

is broader and covers both physical entry problems and nonphysical lack of access
unobtainable
vsinaccessible
7 6.1

Impossible to get

is wider and also applies to things that cannot be entered or grasped
untouchable
vsinaccessible
3 7.7

Too difficult for people to reach or get

is broader, covering any case where something cannot be reached or understood
unachievable
vsinaccessible
3 6.3

Not possible to do or reach

is wider, also used for things that cannot be entered or understood
unfindable
vsinaccessible
1 7.1

Very hard to find

is more general, also applying to things impossible to understand or obtain
unapproachable
vsinaccessible
1 7.1

Hard to reach because it is far away or blocked

is wider and also covers lack of ability to understand or obtain
unreached
vsinaccessible
1 7.5

A place people do not visit that is hard to get to

is more general and also applies to things impossible to understand or use
ungraspable
vsinaccessible
1 8.6

Difficult to understand even after thinking about it

is broader, including physical inability to reach or use something
unpassable
vsinaccessible
1 6.9

A road or path that people cannot cross

is more general and also applies to inability to understand or obtain things
unnavigable
vsinaccessible
1 8.7

Too difficult to travel through, for example a river, sea or road

is broader and applies to many other ways of being out of access or use
unprocurable
vsinaccessible
9.9

Not possible to find or buy

is broader and covers also things impossible to enter, approach, or grasp
un-get-at-able
vsinaccessible
  • Informal
9.9

Hard to reach or achieve

is broader, also used for things that cannot be understood or entered
uncomeatable
vsinaccessible
  • Archaic
9.9

Hard to reach or get

is broader and applies equally to lack of understanding or usability
incognizable
vsinaccessible
  • Formal
9.9

Not possible for people to know or understand

focuses on not being knowable rather than physical difficulty to reach
impassible
vsinaccessible
9.2

Impossible to travel through because obstacles block the way

is broader, covering lack of access that is not only physical but mental
unviewable
vsinaccessible
7.2

Not able to be seen because of technical problems or access limits

is broader and also covers inability to enter, get, or understand something

Antonyms

280 3.9

A place, thing, or service that you can reach and use easily

How Accessible

open
1.0
accessible
280 3.9
restricted
18 3.9
inaccessible
28 7.9
unreachable
15 4.9

Surface Forms

inaccessible positive
inaccessibler comparative
inaccessiblest superlative

Morphology

inaccessible = accessible (transparent) = in + access + ible

The prefix 'in-' straightforwardly negates 'accessible', yielding the meaning 'not accessible'.

Etymology

The word inaccessible comes from the parts in- meaning 'not' and access meaning 'a way to reach or enter'. So, inaccessible describes something you cannot reach, enter, get, or easily understand.