onaanvaardbare

Onaanvaardbare is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective onaanvaardbaar, meaning unacceptable. It is formed from the prefix on- (negation) and the stem aanvaardbaar (acceptable), itself derived from aanvaarden (to accept).

In usage, onaanvaardbaar describes actions, proposals, or behavior that are judged not acceptable. It is common in formal, media, and policy contexts, and can express moral or normative judgment. The form onaanvaardbare is used before definite or plural nouns, or after a definite determiner, while the base form onaanvaardbaar is used before indefinite nouns. For example: het onaanvaardbare gedrag, de onaanvaardbare voorstellen, een onaanvaardbaar voorstel.

Etymologically, the word follows the typical Dutch negation pattern with the -baar suffix indicating capability or suitability, combined with on- to create negation. Its closest synonyms include onacceptabel and onaanvaardbaar gedrag equivalents such as onacceptabele praktijken or unacceptable practices.

Usage notes: while onaanvaardbaar is standard, Dutch speakers sometimes encounter the synonym onacceptabel, which more directly mirrors the English “unacceptable.” The choice between them can depend on register and regional preference; onaanvaardbaar tends to be more traditional, while onacceptabel is common in broader or international contexts.

See also: aanvaardbaar, acceptabel, onacceptabel.