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 of unsuitable

• inappropriate
• improper
• wrong
• incorrect
• unfit
• unhappy

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

He was accused of creating spectacle and of designing spaces unsuitable for art. —Norman Foster, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026

Goan cobras are migrating to new and unsuitable habitats by train. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

Nessel and Romulus city attorneys argue in the lawsuit that the warehouse at 7525 Cogswell Street is unsuitable for detention and that federal officials violated multiple laws in purchasing and planning to convert the property. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

The disease causes bitter, misshapen fruit unsuitable for sale or eating; infected trees eventually die, according to the CDFA. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026

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