Meanings
plural unfitnesses
- countableuncountableThe characteristic of being unfit or ill-suited.
Among other particulars which constituted the unfitness of things in Mr Square's opinion, danger and difficulty were two.
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC1 more example
This train of thought led the Company's Safety Directorate towards the revised standard […] of October 1993, which cemented a national scheme of testing for alcohol and drugs following safety-critical incidents or on suspicion of unfitness for duty, unannounced drugs screening for staff in safety-critical posts, a fixed standard for alcohol/blood levels, and clear guidelines for lunch breaks.
2023 September 6, Greg Morse, “One more for the road?”, in RAIL, number 991, page 49 - countableuncountableThe characteristic of being unfit or out of physical shape.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounpoor physical condition; being out of shape or out of condition (as from a life of ease and luxury)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
German Untauglichkeit
- Untauglichkeitcharacteristic of being unfit
Greek ακαταλληλότητα
- ακαταλληλότητα (akatallilótita)characteristic of being unfit
Cite this entry
unfitness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unfitness
“unfitness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unfitness. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unfitness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unfitness.
Source: unfitness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.