impracticable

Impracticable is an adjective describing something that cannot be executed or brought into practice, typically because it would require disproportionate effort, cost, or risk, or because of insurmountable obstacles. It conveys a higher level of infeasibility than merely difficult or inconvenient, and it is often reserved for situations where practical constraints render an action unimplementable under the given circumstances.

In everyday use, a plan may be described as impracticable when logistics, time, or resources make its completion effectively impossible, even if there is no formal prohibition. The term tends to appear more often in formal, technical, or policy discussions rather than in casual speech.

In legal contexts, impracticability is a recognized doctrine that can excuse performance when unforeseen events make compliance extraordinarily burdensome or costly. Under statutes and case law, such as the Uniform Commercial Code provision commonly cited as addressing impracticability, performance may be excused if it becomes impracticable due to events beyond a party’s control. The standard typically considers whether the burden is disproportionately large relative to the contract’s purpose and whether the risk was contemplated by the agreement. It is distinct from impossibility, which refers to events that physically prevent performance.

Etymology: impracticable derives from the negating prefix im- plus practicable, with practicable tracing to Latin roots related to practice or feasibility. The term has a longstanding presence in English legal and technical vocabulary.

Related terms include impracticability (the noun form) and, in everyday language, impractical.