unascertainable
- adjective
- /ˌʌnəsɜːrˈteɪnəbl/
:
inascertable
- That determination "is expressly based on an individualistic—and therefore necessarily varying and unascertainable—standard: the reactions of members of the public." 141 #
Examples
-
The cause of the strange phenomenon is unascertainable, baffling even the experts.
-
The details of the incident were unascertainable due to conflicting eyewitness accounts.
-
His motives for leaving the organization remain unascertainable, leaving everyone puzzled.
Synonyms
19
7.4
Something you cannot find out or understand
5
7.5
No evidence can show it is true
4
8.1
Not able to be proven or shown to be true
2
6.1
Not possible to test or prove by experiment
1
7.7
You cannot know for sure
1
8.7
Impossible to prove to be true
It is not possible to know for sure
Not possible to find or learn where something is
Something that people cannot prove with evidence
Antonyms
How Knowable
- Formal
1
6.7
149
2.8
1
7.7
19
7.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
unascertainable = ascertainable (transparent) = un + ascertain + able
The adjective 'ascertainable' is a regular derivation from the verb 'ascertain' with '-able', and adding the negative prefix 'un-' yields the straightforward meaning 'not able to be ascertained'.
Etymology
Unascertainable breaks into un- 'not', ascertain from certain 'sure', and -able 'can be done'. So it means 'not able to be made sure', which explains why we use it for things you cannot discover or determine with certainty.