unavailable

adjective

un·​avail·​able ˌən-ə-ˈvā-lə-bəl 

: not available: such as

a

: not possible to get or use

a book that is currently unavailable online

The conference room is unavailable this afternoon.

b

: unable or unwilling to do something

Officials were unavailable for comment.

The manager is unavailable to speak with you right now.

unavailability

ˌən-ə-ˌvā-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• inaccessible
• inapproachable
• inconvenient
• unapproachable
• unattainable
• unobtainable
• unreachable
• untouchable

Examples of unavailable in a Sentence

the commander is unavailable right now

Recent Examples on the Web

One challenge clinical research organizations face during the holidays is delayed decision-making, as key stakeholders are often unavailable or focused on year-end priorities. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

And that was without forward Terrance Williams, who was unavailable because of injury. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Werther chronicles his attempts at romancing Charlotte via phone calls to his friend, only to learn that Charlotte is engaged to an emotionally unavailable man named Albert (Adams, 43). —Tommy McArdle, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Backup center Jalen Smith was also unavailable after suffering a left knee injury in warmups. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above