English Lexicon

Unconscionable

/ʌnˈkɒn.ʃə.nə.bəl/
adjectiveCEFR C2 (Proficient)Top #8500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Not right or reasonable; exorbitantly unfair, unjust, or shocking to the conscience.

    "The company was accused of charging unconscionable interest rates on vulnerable borrowers."
  2. 2

    Extremely excessive or unreasonable in magnitude or degree.

    "It took an unconscionable amount of time to get the basic paperwork approved."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the English prefix un- (not) combined with conscionable, from Middle English and Old French conscionable, tracing back to Latin conscientia (conscience). Over time, the term shifted from meaning 'guided by conscience' to its modern negative sense describing actions or prices that are excessively unreasonable and shockingly unfair.

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