English Reference
adjective · noun

unavoidable

adj. · n.
US /ˌənəˈvɔɪdəbəɫ/ UK /ʌnɐvˈɔɪdəbəl/ un·avoid·able

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.describes something that you cannot prevent from happening.

    adj.impossible to avoid or prevent; certain to occur regardless of intervention.

    Simple

    With so much traffic on the road, a long delay was unavoidable.

    In context

    The company spokesperson admitted that job losses were unavoidable following the sharp decline in global demand for their products.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced TechnicalFormal Law

    adj.describes a legal agreement or rule that cannot be cancelled or made invalid.

    adj.incapable of being made null or void; legally binding and not subject to cancellation.

    Simple

    The contract was unavoidable, meaning neither side could simply walk away.

    In context

    Legal counsel argued that the clause was unavoidable under current statutes, effectively preventing the plaintiff from nullifying the agreement.

    voidable
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency LiteraryFormal

    n.a situation or event that is certain to happen and cannot be stopped.

    n.an event, circumstance, or outcome that is impossible to evade.

    Simple

    Death and taxes are often called the two great unavoidables of life.

    In context

    The philosopher spent his final years contemplating the unavoidables of human existence, focusing particularly on the passage of time.

If relocation becomes unavoidable, she says she wants to remain close to the forest.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

The statement said: "Due to unavoidable changes in the entertainment program for LIV Golf Indianapolis, the league informed Thomas Rhett and Disco Lines that their live musical performances will no longer take place.

BBC News· 17 Aug 2026

From Middle English unavoidable, equivalent to un- + avoidable.

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

This entry
Origin Middle English unavoidable
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated