English Reference
adjective · noun

inaccessible

adj. · n.
US /ˌɪnəkˈsɛsəbəɫ/ UK /ɪnɐksˈɛsəbəl/ in·ac·ces·si·ble

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.impossible or very difficult to reach or get into.

    adj.not capable of being reached, entered, or approached physically.

    Simple

    The mountain village is inaccessible by car during the heavy winter snow.

    In context

    The remote island remains largely inaccessible to tourists due to the lack of a deep-water port and the treacherous surrounding reefs.

    unreachableremoteisolated
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Academic

    adj.very difficult to understand or appreciate, especially art or writing.

    adj.difficult to understand, appreciate, or relate to, often due to complexity or an elitist style.

    Simple

    Many students found the professor's latest book too inaccessible because of the technical language.

    In context

    Critics argued that the composer's later works were intellectually inaccessible to the general public, requiring a deep knowledge of music theory to enjoy.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    n.a special kind of very large number used in high-level mathematics.

    n.an uncountable regular limit cardinal number that cannot be reached from smaller cardinals using standard set-theoretic operations.

    Simple

    The professor explained how an inaccessible cardinal functions within set theory.

    In context

    The existence of an inaccessible cardinal cannot be proved within the standard framework of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory alone.

    inaccessible cardinal

Sea ice has been disappearing from East Greenland, allowing giant whales to take advantage and move in to previously inaccessible areas.

BBC News· 20 Aug 2026

The system allowed the scientists to explore a previously inaccessible form of light-matter interaction in the terahertz range.

ScienceDaily· 31 Jul 2026

From Middle French inaccessible, from Late Latin inaccessibilis, equivalent to in- + accessible.

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

This entry
Origin la-lat inaccessibilis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated