# unavoidable

/ˌənəˈvɔɪdəbəɫ/ (US) · /ʌnɐvˈɔɪdəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unavoidable
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. impossible to prevent

adjective · CEFR B2

describes something that you cannot prevent from happening.

For teachers: impossible to avoid or prevent; certain to occur regardless of intervention.

- With so much traffic on the road, a long delay was unavoidable.
- The company spokesperson admitted that job losses were unavoidable following the sharp decline in global demand for their products.

### 2. legally binding

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

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

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

- The contract was unavoidable, meaning neither side could simply walk away.
- Legal counsel argued that the clause was unavoidable under current statutes, effectively preventing the plaintiff from nullifying the agreement.

### 3. an inevitable event

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

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

For teachers: an event, circumstance, or outcome that is impossible to evade.

- Death and taxes are often called the two great unavoidables of life.
- The philosopher spent his final years contemplating the unavoidables of human existence, focusing particularly on the passage of time.

## Examples

- The rain caused some unavoidable delays for the outdoor wedding.
- After the company lost its biggest client, some job cuts became unavoidable to keep the business running.
- The legal team argued that the accident was unavoidable due to the sudden mechanical failure of the steering system.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.