unemployable

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English un-

English employ

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlis

Latin -bilis

Latin -ābilis

Old French -ablebor.

Middle English -able

English -able

English employable

English unemployable

From un- + employable.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

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Adjective

unemployable (comparative more unemployable, superlative most unemployable)

1. Not employable.

Derived terms

• unemployability
• unemployableness
• unemployably

Translations

not employable

• German: nicht erwerbsfähig
• Hungarian: alkalmazhatatlan (hu)
• Swedish: oanställningsbar

Noun

unemployable (plural unemployables)

1. A person who is not suited to employment.
   • 1976 August 28, David P. Brill, “Talking Politics”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 9, page 11:

     No longer are stereotypical gay men the sole victims of police entrapment. No longer are unwashed unemployables the only ones who would consider biting a cop during the course of an arrest. The solons and jurists of yesterday may well become the convicts of tomorrow.

Translations

person not suited to employment

• German: nicht erwerbsfähige Person f