Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🚫 Not able to advance 📢 Not marketable
unpromotable

unpromotable

1 6.7
A person who cannot move to a higher job
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈproʊməˌtəbl/
translation icon : no promovible
  • If someone is seen as unpromotable, it can be challenging for them to feel motivated at work.

Examples

  • Many employees are considered unpromotable if they lack the necessary skills for advancement.

  • Due to repeated performance issues, he was labeled as unpromotable by his manager.

  • We frequently don't understand that if you are irreplaceable in the job you have, you're unpromotable where you are.

Antonyms

promotable
1 4.6

Able to move to a higher job at work

Surface Forms

unpromotable positive
unpromotabler comparative
unpromotablest superlative

Morphology

unpromotable = promotable (transparent) = un + promote + able

The adjective is formed by negating 'promotable' with the productive prefix 'un-', yielding 'not able to be promoted'.

Etymology

The word unpromotable is made of un- 'not', promote 'move forward', and -able 'able to'. So it literally says 'not able to be moved forward', which explains why it describes someone who cannot be given a higher job or level.