Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Not likely to please; objectionable: undesirable intrusions.
- adj. Not wanted: undesirable aliens.
- n. A person regarded as undesirable: "men tentatively regarded as scoundrels—or at least as undesirables” ( New York).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Not desirable; not to be wished.
Wiktionary
- adj. objectionable or not likely to please
- n. an undesirable person
WordNet 3.0
- n. one whose presence is undesirable
- adj. not worthy of being chosen (especially as a spouse)
- adj. not wanted
Etymologies
- un- + desirable (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The label "undesirable" has been attached to this World War II veteran's military records for more than 60 years, simply because he was kicked out for being gay.”
“The idea that the U.S. government somehow created HIV to kill African-Americans, gays, and other what they call undesirable groups, according to this conspiracy theory.”
“My primary concern is resources," said the commissioner, who blamed the economic crisis for keeping staffing at what he called undesirable levels.”
“How do we ensure that age or skin color or national origin or harmless mannerisms will not also become the basis for distinguishing the undesirable from the desirable?”
The Huffington Post: Paul Boden: The Quality of Whose Life? Part 2
“Loss of the home/living in undesirable living conditions”
“I've been skeptical at claims that PowerPoint dictates a certain undesirable structure upon it's users, but after working with a blog, I'm starting to think there may be something to that idea.”
“Was Rebecca wise to have a child knowing the odds her offspring would inherit certain undesirable traits?”
“Thirdly, I would say that the attempt to introduce a market and to use competition as a means of increasing efficiency is not only not successful but has also had certain undesirable consequences because emphasis is put on balancing the books and meeting the bottom line when it should primarily be concerned with the quality of health care.”
“We might agree that certain behavior makes one person more undesirable than another but how do we ensure that age or skin color or national origin or harmless mannerisms will not also become the basis for distinguishing the undesirable from the desirable?”
“The music producer and former gang member who accused Shaquille O'Neal of being behind an alleged kidnapping by a criminal street gang was classified as an "undesirable informant" by the LAPD in early 2010, according to internal police records reviewed by The Times.”
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