unenforceable.

Not capable of being compelled or given effect through the relevant authority or mechanism.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• unenforceable provision
• unenforceable agreement

On the page

The provision was unenforceable under the rule identified in the judgment.

An unenforceable agreement could still express the parties’ intentions without providing the proposed remedy.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Normally non-gradable for a specified formal status; compare degree only where the context genuinely concerns a gradable capacity or characteristic. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: status distinction, institutional analysis, scope qualification, rights analysis. Disciplines: formal writing, institutional procedures, legal-administrative language. Commonness: moderately common.