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uncommunicable

uncommunicable

8.1
Something that you cannot explain or share with other people
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌn.kəˈmjun.ɪ.kə.bəl/
translation icon : incomunicable
  • He wrote a poem about his uncommunicable feelings of loss and despair.

Examples

  • Her pain was so deep that it felt uncommunicable to anyone who had not experienced it.

  • "And for some uncommunicable reason, he thinks there's no future for him with us," said Lyou Ye, more calmly.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • It is also uncommunicable.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The child's fear was uncommunicable, making it difficult for the parents to understand how to help.

Synonyms

noncontagious
vsuncommunicable
1 4.4

Not able to spread from one person to another

is not limited to diseases and also covers nonphysical sharing or expression
noninfectious
vsuncommunicable
  • Specialized
1 4.6

Not able to spread disease between people

is wider, covering nonphysical forms of sharing or expressing as well
nontransferable
vsuncommunicable
1 6.6

You cannot give or sell it to another person

focuses more widely on sharing, expression, or transmission, not only transfer
noncommunicative
vsuncommunicable
1 8.1

Not willing or able to give information

is broader, applying to objects or ideas that cannot be shared or expressed
unsharable
vsuncommunicable
5.4

Other people cannot give or use it

is broader, covering sharing, expression, or transmission rather than only sharing
nontransmissible
vsuncommunicable
  • Specialized
7.9

Cannot be passed from one person to another

is broader, including sharing or expression beyond physical transmission
noncommunicable
vsuncommunicable
  • Specialized
6.3

A disease that cannot be passed from one person to another

is more general, applying to sharing or expressing ideas as well as transmission
uninfective
vsuncommunicable
  • Specialized
6.9

Not able to make others sick or to spread a disease

extends beyond infection to include inability to be shared or expressed
untransferable
vsuncommunicable
6.8

You cannot give it to someone else to use

covers this idea but also applies to expressing or communicating, not just moving
undisclosable
vsuncommunicable
6.9

You cannot share this information with people outside a company

relates by secrecy but is broader, including inability to share or transmit generally
undiscussable
vsuncommunicable
8.8

Not safe or allowed to be talked about openly

is similar but covers any form of sharing, not only open discussion

Antonyms

1 3.9

Easy to explain or share with other people

1 5.3

Able to be put into words or shown by actions

How Communicable

expressible
1 5.3
communicable
1 3.9
uncommunicable
8.1
ineffable
  • Formal
8 9.5

Surface Forms

uncommunicable positive

Morphology

uncommunicable = communicable (transparent) = un + communicate + able

The negative prefix 'un-' attached to 'communicable' yields a straightforward negation meaning 'not able to be communicated'.

Etymology

Uncommunicable joins un- 'not' with communicable, which comes from a Latin root meaning 'to share' and is the same root in communicate and common. So, uncommunicable describes something you cannot share or express to others.