Noncollectible

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not capable of being retrieved or collected under certain circumstances
2. Impossible to gather, recover, or retrieve in a given context
3. Not subject to being collected or reclaimed due to specific conditions

Etymology: "Noncollectible" is a plain formation: the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "collectible." That second part comes from "collect," which traces back through Latin "colligere," meaning "to gather together," built from "com-" ("together") and "legere" ("to gather, choose, read"). The "-ible" ending, from Latin "-ibilis," marks something capable of being acted upon, so "collectible" describes something that can be gathered or reclaimed. Put together, "noncollectible" names a debt, claim, or item that cannot be gathered up or recovered under particular conditions, such as a debt written off as uncollectable in accounting or a sum a creditor cannot lawfully recover. Its meaning is therefore a direct negation of "collectible," with no shift in sense beyond that.

Synonyms: uncollectible, insolvent, unrecoverable, irrecoverable, unattainable

Antonyms: collectible, recoverable, gainful, attainable, realizable