inapplicable
/ˌɪnəˈplɪkəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪnəˈplɪkəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i-ˈna-pli-kə-bəl also ˌi-nə-ˈpli-kə-/ (ame, mw)
inapplicable — adjective
- inapplicablepositive
- more inapplicablecomparative
- most inapplicablesuperlative
1. If a rule, method, argument, comparison, or condition is inapplicable to a perso
If a rule, method, argument, comparison, or condition is inapplicable to a person or situation, it has no connection to them or cannot be used effectively in those circumstances.
The teenage curfew was inapplicable to Wen, who was already twenty-two years old.
be inapplicable to [person] — rule does not relate to someone
Binta's desert-farming experience was inapplicable in the rainy coastal region where she moved.
be inapplicable in [context]
Vikram argued that the old safety regulations were inapplicable to the newly designed laboratory.
Rosa checked whether the student discount was inapplicable to online courses before she enrolled.
The comparison between the two legal cases was inapplicable because the facts were entirely different.
- irrelevant
Broader and more common; suggests no connection at all to the matter under discussion
- unsuitable
Emphasizes lack of appropriateness rather than relevance; often about tools or methods
- inapposite
Formal and rarer; used in legal or academic writing for something strikingly out of place
- applicable
The direct opposite; means a rule or method can be used or does apply
- relevant
Connected to the matter at hand
- appropriate
Suitable or fitting for a particular situation
文法句型
be inapplicable to [noun]
be inapplicable in [context]
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' to specify the person or thing the rule does not affect. In formal or legal writing, 'in' is also used to specify the context ('inapplicable in this jurisdiction'). This adjective is rarely used with the preposition 'for'.