Word
unavailable
Phoneticsun·avail·able
US/ˌənəˈveɪɫəbəɫ/
UK/ʌnɐvˈeɪləbəl/
Definitions
01not obtainable
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not able to be bought, used, or found.
adj. not able to be obtained, purchased, or utilised at the present time.
“The book I wanted was unavailable at the local library.”
“The specific replacement parts for the vintage engine are currently unavailable due to a global supply chain disruption.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02busy or occupied
B1 · Intermediate
adj. too busy to talk to someone or do something.
adj. not free to be consulted or contacted; occupied with other duties.
“The manager is unavailable for a meeting until tomorrow morning.”
“The lead surgeon remains unavailable for comment while the post-operative assessment is still in progress.”
03ineffective
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
adj. not producing the result you want.
adj. producing no effect; useless or unavailing.
“Their efforts to fix the old machine proved unavailable in the end.”
“The traditional remedies were found to be unavailable against the virulent new strain of the virus.”
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic; modern speakers almost exclusively use 'ineffective' or 'useless' instead.
Synonyms
Etymology
From un- + available.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/unavailable