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Glite Dictionary
unpotable

unpotable

7.7
Water that is not safe to drink
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈpoʊtəbl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : no potable
  • The water from that well is unpotable.

Examples

  • This river contains unpotable water.

  • The river water is often contaminated, making it unpotable for drinking.

  • The tap water in that remote village is unpotable and must be boiled before use.

  • After the chemical spill, the lake became unpotable for several months.

  • Travelers were warned that the well water was unpotable and should not be consumed.

  • After the storm, the tap water was declared unpotable due to the risk of contamination.

  • In some regions, water sources are unpotable and require filtration before consumption.

Synonyms

undrinkable
vsunpotable
3 3.4

Unsafe to drink or tastes so bad you cannot drink it

is focused on being unsafe or unsuitable rather than on unpleasant taste
nonpotable
vsunpotable
  • Specialized
6.1

Not safe to drink

means the same but is a less formal everyday word

Antonyms

potable
  • Specialized
7 5.3

Safe to drink

How Drinkable

potable
  • Specialized
7 5.3
unpotable
  • Specialized
7.7

Surface Forms

unpotable positive

Morphology

unpotable = potable (transparent) = un + potable

Formed by adding the negation prefix 'un-' to 'potable' (suitable for drinking), so the meaning 'not suitable for drinking' is directly derived.

Etymology

The word unpotable is made of un- 'not' and potable, which comes from the old Latin word potare 'to drink' and shows up in the familiar word potion. So unpotable means 'not safe or suitable for drinking'.