inviable

IPA/ɪnˈvaɪ.ə.bəl/
IPA/ɪnˈvaɪ.ə.bəl/

inviable — adjective

  • inviablepositive
  • more inviablecomparative
  • most inviablesuperlative

1. describes a plan, business, or idea that cannot work or last because there is to

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a plan, business, or idea that cannot work or last because there is too little money, support, or interest behind it

例句

The town's only bookshop became inviable once the new mall opened nearby.

become inviable: turn unworkable over time

Without more funding from the city, the youth centre was simply inviable.

inviable + without [resource]: cause of failure

同義詞
  • unworkable

    more everyday; stresses that a plan cannot be put into practice

  • unsustainable

    stresses that something cannot keep going over time, often for money reasons

  • untenable

    formal; stresses a position or argument that cannot be defended or maintained

反義詞
  • viable

    able to work and last successfully

  • feasible

    able to be done, though it may say nothing about lasting

用法筆記

Subject is usually a plan, project, business, or option rather than a person. Often paired with 'financially', 'economically', or 'commercially' to name why it cannot last.

常見錯誤

The runner felt inviable after the long race.
The plan was inviable without more money.
💡'inviable' describes plans or projects that cannot work, not how a person feels.

2. describes a seed, cell, or young living thing that cannot stay alive or grow int

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describes a seed, cell, or young living thing that cannot stay alive or grow into a full organism, often because of a fault in its genes

例句

Most of the frozen seeds turned out to be inviable after thirty years in storage.

inviable seeds: cannot germinate

The genetic defect left many of the eggs inviable before they could hatch.

leave something inviable: a cause prevents survival

同義詞
  • nonviable

    near-identical in biology; the more common spelling in many science texts

  • sterile

    stresses being unable to reproduce rather than unable to survive

反義詞
  • viable

    able to survive and grow into a living being

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies only to living material (seeds, cells, embryos, organisms) that cannot survive, often for a genetic reason, while sense 1 applies to plans and businesses that cannot last.

常見錯誤

The old battery was inviable.
The frozen seeds were inviable.
💡this sense needs a living thing, such as a seed, cell, or embryo, not a lifeless object.