Inaccessible

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɪnəkˈsɛsɪbl̩/

Definitions

1. Unable to be reached, entered, or obtained due to physical barriers, distance, or other limiting factors
2. Not able to be approached or entered because of obstacles, lack of availability, or extreme difficulty
3. difficult to access, understand, or use due to barriers or complexity

Etymology: "Inaccessible" is a plain formation: the prefix "in-", meaning "not," attached to "accessible," which itself comes from the Latin "accessibilis," built on "accedere," "to approach." Something accessible is something you can approach or reach, so the negated form describes what cannot be approached, reached, or entered. The word passed into English through Middle French "inaccessible," which in turn descends from Late Latin "inaccessibilis." English also had a near-twin, "unaccessible," formed with the native English prefix "un-" instead of the Latin "in-." The two existed side by side for a time, and they are known as a doublet, two forms of one word that arrived by different routes. The Latin-derived form won out in standard use, and "unaccessible" has largely fallen away. Its modern sense has widened from physical places, such as a mountain peak or a remote village, to abstract things like an idea, a technical manual, or a website that people with disabilities cannot use.

Synonyms: unreachable, impenetrable, isolated, remote, unattainable

Antonyms: accessible, reachable, approachable, attainable, available