unavoidable

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'unavoidable' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that cannot be avoided or prevented, usually because it is necessary or inescapable. For example: The sudden weather changes were unavoidable, so we had to change our plans.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is an unavoidable truth that, barring terrible luck or a sudden domestic rupture, the older your friends get, the less they need.

The Guardian - Opinion

Some bits of the trauma are just unplannably unavoidable.

The Guardian - Opinion

But 2014 was the year when it became an unavoidable truth that parts of the US are really, really, really messed up when it comes to race, and, unfortunately, many of the parts seem to involve law enforcement officials.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Working up to 10km out to sea in hours after dark and pre-dawn, it is unavoidable to meet those patrolling Mumbai's sea defences for the Koli.

The Guardian

"This is an unfortunate but unavoidable consequence of introducing new and more efficient ways of working," Angilley said in the memo.

The Guardian

Liam Fox, a former Tory defence minister, also said the West Lothian question and the funding settlement between all UK nations would become "unavoidable".

The Guardian

Intelligence sources, Jaruzelski claimed, persuaded him invasion was unavoidable – unless he acted against Solidarity by declaring martial law and detaining the movement's activists.

The Guardian

There is nothing so queer nor powerful as humans' attitude to an essentially and unavoidable human activity: that of expelling unused matter out of our bodies, at least once a day, in one way or another.

The Guardian - Opinion

In private, discussions of the referendum were unavoidable: on an official bus to the opening ceremony, Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg pressed Ed Miliband to be more ambitious on agreeing to a joint strategy on more powers.

The Guardian

In a speech to a Thatcherite thinktank, Tony Blair's former chief of staff and military favourite argued the case for "ruthlessly prioritising" the MoD's £37bn budget when the next government makes unavoidable cuts of up to 15%.

The Guardian - Opinion

But taking power away from the party in the country has unavoidable consequences.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "unavoidable" when you want to emphasize that something cannot be prevented or evaded. It often implies a sense of inevitability.

Common error

Be careful not to use "unavoidable" when you simply mean something is unwanted or unpleasant. "Unavoidable" means it's literally impossible to avoid, not just that you don't like it.

Linguistic Context

The word "unavoidable" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate that something cannot be avoided or prevented. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is grammatically correct and common. Examples include phrases like "unavoidable consequence" or "unavoidable delays."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

31%

Science

31%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "unavoidable" is a common and grammatically correct adjective used to describe something that cannot be prevented or evaded. According to Ludwig, its primary function is to convey inevitability or necessity. While it maintains a generally neutral register, "unavoidable" appears most frequently in News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science contexts. Common synonyms include "inevitable" and "inescapable", but it's important not to confuse it with "undesirable". Finally, remember that something truly "unavoidable" is genuinely impossible to prevent, not just unwanted.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

inevitable

Focuses on the certainty of occurrence, making it slightly stronger.

inescapable

Emphasizes the impossibility of escaping the situation.

unpreventable

A direct synonym emphasizing the inability to prevent something.

ineluctable

Highlights the irresistible and certain nature of the event.

certain to happen

Provides a more descriptive and less formal alternative.

bound to occur

Similar to "certain to happen" but slightly more formal.

impossible to prevent

Highlights the lack of possibility to stop something.

destined

Suggests a predetermined or fated outcome.

sure to arise

Emphasizes the certainty of the issue or problem surfacing.

cannot be helped

Indicates that there is nothing that can be done to change the outcome.

FAQs

How to use "unavoidable" in a sentence?

"Unavoidable" is typically used as an adjective to describe something that cannot be prevented or avoided. For example, "The delays were "unavoidable" due to the storm".

What can I say instead of "unavoidable"?

You can use alternatives like "inevitable", "inescapable", or "certain to happen" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "unavoidable" or "avoidable"?

"Unavoidable" means impossible to avoid, while "avoidable" means it is possible to avoid. The correct choice depends on whether the situation can be prevented or not.

What's the difference between "unavoidable" and "inevitable"?

While both words suggest something cannot be stopped, "unavoidable" focuses on the lack of options to prevent it, while "inevitable" suggests a certainty of occurrence, often linked to fate or natural processes.