undemandable
|un-de-man-da-ble|
/ˌʌn.dɪˈmæn.də.bəl/
not able to be demanded
Etymology
'undemandable' originates from Modern English, formed by the negative prefix 'un-' + 'demandable' (from 'demand' + '-able'), where 'un-' meant 'not' and 'demandable' meant 'able to be demanded'.
'demand' comes from Old French 'demander' (to ask), ultimately from Latin 'demandare' (de- 'from/away' + mandare 'to order/entrust'); the adjective-forming suffix '-able' produced 'demandable' (able to be demanded), and the prefix 'un-' was added in Modern English to create 'undemandable'.
Initially related to the action 'to ask or require' (from Latin 'demandare'), the compound evolved into the adjective 'demandable' meaning 'able to be demanded'; 'undemandable' later arose to indicate the negation ('not able to be demanded') and, by rare extension, to imply 'not demanding'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not able to be demanded; incapable of being legally or practically required, claimed, or called for (often used in legal/contract contexts).
Under the new clause the fee is undemandable by the company.
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Adjective 2
(Rare/nonce usage) Not demanding; requiring little effort, attention, or resources — essentially equivalent to 'undemanding'.
The volunteer role was undemandable, suitable even for people with little free time.
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Last updated: 2025/08/24 05:33