unerschwinglich

Unerschwinglich is a German adjective meaning unaffordable or beyond what most people can pay. It is used to describe prices, costs, or price expectations that are considered too high for practical purchase. The term can be used both literally, for a price that cannot be paid, and figuratively, to convey extreme inaccessibility or exclusivity.

Etymology: The word is formed from the negating prefix un- and erschwinglich, which means affordable. Erschwinglich derives from erschwingen “to win or earn by effort,” and by adding un- the sense becomes “not affordable.”

Usage: Unerschwinglich is common in journalism, consumer discourse and everyday speech. It can appear attributively or predicatively: “ein unerschwinglicher Preis” or “Der Preis ist unerschwinglich.” It frequently collocates with nouns such as Preis, Kosten, Mieten, Eintrittspreise, and Angebot, to describe what is financially out of reach for many people.

Beispiele: Der Preis des neuesten Luxus-Smartphones ist unerschwinglich hoch. Die Mieten in der Innenstadt werden von vielen als unerschwinglich empfunden.

See also: erschwinglich, Preis, Kosten, Miete, Preisgestaltung, Erschwinglichkeit.