Etymology and origin of the English word unusable
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1825 Sydney Smith More words from the 19th century
- Ultimate origins
- Proto-Germanic *un-Middle French usable
Etymology tree
From the same root
Etymology
It is formed from English un- + usable, with the negative prefix un-, "not".[2][1] Usable is recorded from before 1382 and is either a borrowing of Middle French usable or a formation from use and -able;[1] Etymonline notes that it was rare until about 1840, when it was probably formed again from the verb.[2]
Earliest recorded meaning
Not able to be used: 1825, in the works of Sydney Smith.[1][2]
Semantic evolution
The word has kept its plain negative sense, not fit or not able to be used, or useless,[3][4] and the OED classes it among the ordinary un- adjectives of the type "not able to be".[1] Merriam-Webster gives the adverb unusably.[3]
Timeline
Meanings
Adjective
- Not able or fit to be used; useless or not serviceable: After the flood the lower road was unusable for a week.[4][3]
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry
“Unusable.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/unusable. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·