English Reference
Adjective

avoidable

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /əˈvɔɪdəbəɫ/ UK /ɐvˈɔɪdəbəl/ avoid·able

adj.something that could have been prevented or stopped if you had tried. You use this to describe a problem or a mistake that was not necessary.

adj.capable of being prevented or escaped; not necessary or inevitable. Often used to describe errors or conflicts that could have been resolved through better planning or communication.


SIMPLE

The accident was an avoidable mistake.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager realized that the project's failure was avoidable if the team had followed the safety protocols.

COMPLEX

While some risks are inherent to the industry, many of the recent financial losses were entirely avoidable through more rigorous oversight and risk management strategies.

Usage avoidable deaths

We have people dying avoidable deaths every day.

The Guardian· 19 Aug 2026

Two in five of the first group’s deaths were judged to be avoidable.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

From avoid + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated