UNDESIRABLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does undesirable mean? 

• UNDESIRABLE (noun)
  The noun UNDESIRABLE has 1 sense:

1. one whose presence is undesirable

  Familiarity information: UNDESIRABLE used as a noun is very rare.

• UNDESIRABLE (adjective)
  The adjective UNDESIRABLE has 2 senses:

1. not wanted

2. not worthy of being chosen (especially as a spouse)

  Familiarity information: UNDESIRABLE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNDESIRABLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

One whose presence is undesirable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

rounding up vagrants and drunks and other undesirables

Hypernyms ("undesirable" is a kind of...):

persona non grata; unwelcome person (a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcome)

Derivation:

undesirable (not wanted)

• UNDESIRABLE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not wanted

Synonyms:

undesirable; unwanted

Context example:

removed the unwanted vegetation

Similar:

unenviable (so undesirable as to be incapable of arousing envy)

Also:

hateful (evoking or deserving hatred)

unwanted (not wanted; not needed)

Antonym:

desirable (worth having or seeking or achieving)

Derivation:

undesirability (the quality possessed by something that should be avoided)

undesirable (one whose presence is undesirable)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not worthy of being chosen (especially as a spouse)

Synonyms:

undesirable; unsuitable

Similar:

ineligible (not eligible)

Derivation:

undesirability (the quality possessed by something that should be avoided)

 Context examples 

The undesirable presence of any substance that does not belong either on the device or in an organism and may lead to infection or fever.

(Device Foreign Material Contamination Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

The undesirable presence of toxins associated with certain bacteria (e.g. gram negative bacteria).

(Device Endotoxin Contamination Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

She had found in her every thing that could tend to make a farther connection between the families undesirable.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Processing of signal parameters to exclude undesirable effects, including those caused by the detection instrument itself.

(Deconvolution, NCI Thesaurus)

Issue associated with an undesirable descent of a device component due to the force of gravity, usually from a higher to a lower level, usually the ground or floor.

(Fall of Medical Device Component, Food and Drug Administration)

The degree of something undesirable as determined by physical assessment.

(Physical Examination Severity, NCI Thesaurus)

This, though very undesirable, would be no matter of agony to her.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Testing the device to determine if it elicits an undesirable local or systemic biological effect in the cells or tissues of the recipient of that device.

(Device Biocompatibility Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

Secreted IL-5 stimulates production and maturation of eosinophils in bone marrow that migrate to tissues in response to eotaxin and release factors that damage tissues, causing some of the undesirable consequences of inflammation.

(IL5 Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

The undesirable presence of microorganisms or microbes such as bacteria and fungi (yeasts and molds).

(Device Microbial Contamination Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)