unconscionable

English

Etymology

un- +‎ conscionable

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ənˈkɔn.ʃən.ə.bəl/, /ənˈkɔnʃ.nə.bəl/, /ənˈkɔn.ʃən.bəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈkɑn.ʃən.ə.bəl/, /ʌnˈkɑnʃ.nə.bəl/, /ʌnˈkɑn.ʃən.bəl/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈkɒn.ʃən.ə.bəl/, /ʌnˈkɒn.ʃən.bəl/

Adjective

unconscionable (comparative more unconscionable, superlative most unconscionable)

1. Not conscionable; unscrupulous and lacking principles or conscience.
   • 2001, Joyce Carol Oates, Middle Age: A Romance, paperback edition, Fourth Estate, page 364:

     When Roger assured him that prospects "looked very good" for a retrial, even a reversal of the verdict, since Roger had discovered "unconscionable errors" in the trial, Jackson grunted in bemusement and smiled with half his mouth.

2. Excessive, imprudent or unreasonable.

   The effective rate of interest was unconscionable, but not legally usurious.

   • 1643, John Milton, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce:

     [...] and the agrieved person shall doe more manly, to be extraordinary and singular in claiming the due right whereof he is frustrated, then to piece up his lost contentment by visiting the Stews, or stepping to his neighbours bed, which is the common shift in this mis-fortune, or els by suffering his usefull life to wast away and be lost under a secret affliction of an unconscionable size to humane strength.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Past”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 84:

     He amazed the pretty hostess by refusing breakfast; however, flinging down double the amount of her already unconscionable bill, consoled her for his want of appetite.

Translations

not conscionable; unscrupulous

• Bulgarian: безсъвестен (bg) (bezsǎvesten)
• Dutch: onbillijk (nl), gewetenloos (nl)
• Finnish: omantunnon vastainen
• French: sans scrupules (fr)
• German: unverschämt (de), skrupellos (de), gewissenlos (de)
• Greek: παράλογος (el) (parálogos), ασυνείδητος (el) (asyneíditos)
• Italian: senza scrupoli
• Persian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: inescrupuloso (pt)
• Russian: бессо́вестный (ru) (bessóvestnyj)
• Spanish: inescrupuloso

excessive

• Bulgarian: неумерен (bg) (neumeren), прекомерен (bg) (prekomeren)
• Dutch: excessief (nl), overdreven (nl)
• Finnish: kohtuuton (fi), hillitön (fi)
• French: déraisonnable (fr)
• German: unverschämt (de), unverhältnismäßig (de)
• Swedish: överdriven (sv), omåttlig (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} onbillik