unprintable

IPA/ʌnˈprɪntəbl/
KK[ənprˈɪntəbəl]IPA/ʌnˈprɪntəbl/

unprintable — adjective

  • unprintablepositive
  • more unprintablecomparative
  • most unprintablesuperlative

1. describes speech or writing that is so indecent or shocking that it cannot be in

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes speech or writing that is so indecent or shocking that it cannot be included in any published material

Example

The editor warned that several of the comedian's jokes were unprintable in a family newspaper.

When the microphone was still on, Walid muttered something completely unprintable under his breath.

collocation: completely unprintable (intensifier)

Synonyms
  • indecent

    broader term; can refer to any morally offensive content, not specifically about printability

  • vulgar

    focuses on crudeness or coarseness; some vulgar language may still be printable

  • unpublishable

    more specific to the publishing context; can also apply for non-offensive reasons such as poor quality

  • profane

    specifically describes language showing disrespect for religion or using swear words

Antonyms

Usage Note

Applied to language, remarks, or writing, not to actions or events. More common in formal or journalistic writing than in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

His behavior was unprintable.
His language was unprintable.
'unprintable' describes speech or writing, not actions or behavior.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something offensive, but they differ in scope and context. 'Unprintable' is the most specific — it refers to language that is too offensive to appear in print, typically swear words or extreme insults. 'Unspeakable' is broader, covering any experience or thing too horrific or shocking to put into words (e.g. unspeakable cruelty). 'Unpublishable' focuses on the publishing decision rather than the offensiveness itself — a manuscript could be unpublishable because it is poorly written or too long. 'Indecent' is a legal and social judgment about propriety, often used in broadcasting regulations. For example: 'The reviewer called the film indecent, but nothing in it was truly unprintable.'

unprintable ↗unspeakable ↗unpublishableindecent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • something unprintable

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') attached to 'printable', which itself comes from 'print' (from Latin 'premere', to press) plus '-able' (suffix meaning 'capable of being'). The word has been recorded in English since the early 1800s to describe language judged too offensive to appear in published form.

First known use

1830

1830, in the meaning defined above