unsuitable

adjective

un·​suit·​able ˌən-ˈsü-tə-bəl 

: not fitting or right for a use or purpose : not suitable

an unsuitable choice

unsuitable topics for conversation

unsuitability

ˌən-ˌsü-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

unsuitability for the job

unsuitably

ˌən-ˈsü-tə-blē 

adverb

unsuitably dressed

Synonyms

• amiss
• graceless
• improper
• inapposite
• inappropriate
• inapt
• incongruous
• incorrect
• indecorous
• inept
• infelicitous
• malapropos
• perverse
• unapt
• unbecoming
• unfit
• unhappy
• unseemly
• untoward
• wrong

Examples of unsuitable in a Sentence

all the movies playing now are violent or otherwise unsuitable for a child's birthday party

Recent Examples on the Web

If the new wells prove unsuitable for city use, the city has a contingency plan designed for rehabilitation. —Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025

Until now, scientists have generally thought that planets orbiting white dwarfs would be unsuitable for life because the dynamic temperature decrease of their dead parent star makes their atmospheres too unstable. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Mar. 2025

The following year, regulators ruled that the company was unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision. —Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

However, the land presented a challenge: its marshy terrain was unsuitable for planting. —Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsuitable

• mutable
• suitable
• computable
• disputable
• immutable
• imputable
• inscrutable
• executable
• indisputable
• irrefutable
• substitutable

Kids Definition

unsuitable

adjective

un·​suit·​able

ˌən-ˈsüt-ə-bəl,

ˈən-

: not suitable or fitting : unbecoming, inappropriate

unsuitably

-blē

adverb