unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl 

1

a

: shockingly unfair or unjust

unconscionable sales practices

b

: excessive, unreasonable

found an unconscionable number of defects in the car

2

: not guided or controlled by conscience : unscrupulous

an unconscionable villain

unconscionability

ˌən-ˌkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

unconscionableness

ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl-nəs 

noun

unconscionably

ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-blē 

adverb

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When Do You Use unconscionable?

Something that can't be done in good conscience is unconscionable, and such acts can range from betraying a confidence to mass murder. For a five-syllable word, unconscionable is actually quite common. This is partly because it isn't always used very seriously; so, for example, a critic is free to call a fat new book "an unconscionable waste of trees". In law, an unconscionable contract is one that, even though it was signed by both parties, is so ridiculous that a judge will just throw it out.

Synonyms

• baroque
• devilish
• excessive
• exorbitant
• extravagant
• extreme
• fancy
• immoderate
• inordinate
• insane
• intolerable
• lavish
• overdue
• overextravagant
• overmuch
• overweening
• plethoric
• steep
• stiff
• towering
• undue
• unmerciful

Examples of unconscionable in a Sentence

They have had to endure unconscionable delays.

an unconscionable number of errors for an important government report

Recent Examples on the Web

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) An unconscionable 107 minutes long, The Boss Baby: Family Business is horrendous on just about every level. —James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025

Using military planes, which could hold tons of cargo, for exporting immigrants is unconscionable — the expense alone should make that untenable. —Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025

His behavior would be unconscionable if Iris were an actual woman, but is a bit more ambiguous in a film where some people use droids for target practice. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025

Proponents of the cap say that 36% is high enough to facilitate lending and that unconscionable rates lead to major debt traps. —Joel Jacobs, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkänch-(ə-)nə-bəl 

1

: not guided or controlled by conscience

an unconscionable villain

2

: not being in agreement with what is right or just : unreasonable, excessive

unconscionably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

unconscionable

adjective

un·​con·​scio·​na·​ble ˌən-ˈkän-chə-nə-bəl 

: unreasonably unfair to one party, marked by oppression, or otherwise unacceptably offensive to public policy

an unconscionable clause

finds the contract…to have been unconscionable at the time it was made

—Uniform Commercial Code

compare conscionable

unconscionably adverb