unpalatability
|un-pal-a-ta-bil-i-ty|
/ˌʌn.pæl.ə.təˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
not pleasant to taste; not acceptable
Etymology
'unpalatability' originates from English, formed by the negative prefix 'un-' (from Old English 'un-') attached to 'palatability'. 'palatability' in turn comes from the adjective 'palatable' derived from Latin elements related to 'palatum' where 'palatum' meant 'palate'.
'palatability' developed via Middle French/Anglo-French forms from Latin 'palatabilis' (from 'palatum'), and in Modern English the prefix 'un-' was added to produce 'unpalatability'.
Initially the root related to the physical 'palate' (taste), and 'palatable' came to mean 'agreeable to the taste' or 'acceptable'; over time 'unpalatability' came to mean either literal unpleasantness of taste or figurative unacceptability.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being unpalatable; unpleasantness to the taste (physical unpleasantness of food or drink).
The unpalatability of the medicine made many patients refuse to take it.
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Noun 2
figurative: the quality of being unacceptable or disagreeable (an idea, proposal, or situation that people find hard to accept).
The unpalatability of the proposal led the committee to reject it.
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Last updated: 2025/12/22 12:33