Unpreferable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not the choice that someone would want or select when other options are available
2. Describing something less appealing or less desirable than the alternatives on offer
3. Falling short of what would be chosen, and so not worth picking over the others

Etymology: "Unpreferable" is simply the prefix "un-" attached to "preferable," and it means "not preferable" or "not to be chosen." The prefix "un-" is a native English element, descending from Old English, that reverses or negates the sense of the word it precedes, so "unpreferable" describes something that is undesirable compared with its alternatives. The base word "preferable" comes from "prefer," which entered English from Old French "preferer," itself from Latin "praeferre," meaning "to carry before" or "to set in front," a combination of "prae" (before) and "ferre" (to carry). Over time, "preferable" came to mean "worthy of being chosen," and "unpreferable" follows that logic: it names an option that falls short of being the one to pick.