Langimage
English

unreadable

|un/read/a/ble|

B2

/ʌnˈriːdəbl/

not decipherable

Etymology
Etymology Information

'unreadable' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'readable', which comes from the Old English 'rǣdan', meaning 'to advise, interpret, or read'.

Historical Evolution

'readable' evolved from the Old English 'rǣdan', which transformed into the Middle English 'reden', eventually becoming the modern English 'read'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, 'readable' meant 'to interpret or advise', but over time it evolved to mean 'able to be read'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

not able to be read or deciphered.

The handwriting was so messy that it was unreadable.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:42