ineligible
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.not allowed to have or do something because you do not meet the necessary rules or conditions.
adj.legally or officially disqualified from a position, right, or benefit due to failing to meet specific criteria.
Simple“He was ineligible for the scholarship because his family earned too much money.”
In context“The athlete was declared ineligible to compete in the finals after failing to submit the required medical documentation by the Friday deadline.”
UsageCommonly followed by the prepositions 'for' (before a noun) or 'to' (before an infinitive verb).
PitfallHe is ineligible to the competition. He is ineligible for the competition.Use 'for' before a noun or 'to' before a verb when explaining why someone is ineligible.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is not allowed to take part in something.
n.a person who does not meet the requirements for a specific status, benefit, or competition.
Simple“The list of ineligibles was posted on the wall outside the office.”
In context“The committee spent the afternoon reviewing the applications and separating the ineligibles from those who met the primary criteria.”
UsageUsually appears in administrative or legal contexts, often in the plural form.
Teacher's tipThis noun use is much rarer than the adjective; students should focus on the adjective form first.
“Non-contributory pensions ( p ensiones no contributivas ) are for people ineligible for the normal contribution-based Spanish pension.”
“But Schultz withdrew from the general election and was ineligible to advance.”
From French inéligible.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.