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ineligible

C1/C2
UK/ɪnˈɛlɪdʒəbl̩/US/ɪnˈɛlədʒəb(ə)l/

Formal

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Definition

Meaning

Legally or officially disqualified from a privilege, office, or activity.

Not suitable or acceptable according to a set of rules or criteria; not meeting the required standards.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily used in contexts involving rules, regulations, and official criteria. The focus is on formal disqualification, not merely unsuitability.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Usage is identical in meaning and frequency.

Connotations

Neutral, factual term associated with formal disqualification.

Frequency

Equally common in both formal registers (legal, administrative, academic).

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
deemed ineligiblerender ineligiblerule ineligibledeclared ineligible
medium
ineligible to voteineligible for benefitsineligible for paroleineligible for the prize
weak
completely ineligibletechnically ineligibleotherwise ineligible

Grammar

Valency Patterns

to be ineligible FOR somethingto be ineligible TO do something

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

disqualified (by law/rule)barredforbidden

Neutral

disqualifiedunqualifiedexcluded

Weak

unsuitableunacceptable

Vocabulary

Antonyms

eligiblequalifiedentitledpermitted

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “None specific to this word.”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Referring to applicants or contracts that do not meet formal requirements (e.g., 'The supplier was deemed ineligible for the tender.').

Academic

Used in research regarding selection criteria (e.g., 'Participants under 18 were ineligible for the study.').

Everyday

Discussing competition rules or benefit entitlements (e.g., 'I'm ineligible for the discount because I'm not a member.').

Technical

Common in legal, immigration, and sports regulations (e.g., 'The athlete was found ineligible due to doping violations.').

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • The new rule ineligibleizes late submissions.

American English

  • The new rule ineligibleizes late submissions.

Examples

By CEFR Level

B1
  • He was ineligible for the team because he was too young.
  • The damaged product is ineligible for a refund.
B2
  • Employees who work part-time are ineligible for the full healthcare package.
  • The council ruled her application ineligible due to missing documentation.
C1
  • The candidate was rendered ineligible for the directorship due to a conflict of interest.
  • Stateless persons are often ineligible to receive certain state benefits.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: IN (not) + ELIGIBLE (qualified) = NOT QUALIFIED.

Conceptual Metaphor

EXCLUSION IS BEING OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE (of qualified candidates).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Avoid direct translation as 'неизбираемый' (inelectable). The correct conceptual translation is 'неимеющий права', 'несоответствующий требованиям'.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'ineligible' (formally disqualified) with 'illegible' (unreadable handwriting). Incorrectly using 'for' after the verb (e.g., 'ineligible to the grant' instead of 'ineligible FOR the grant').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
Due to his professional affiliation, he was deemed to serve on the ethics committee.
Multiple Choice

In which context is 'ineligible' used CORRECTLY?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

'Ineligible' means not qualified or entitled. 'Illegible' refers to writing that is impossible or very hard to read.

Yes, it can describe people (an ineligible candidate) or things/entities (an ineligible application, an ineligible bid).

The two main patterns are 'ineligible FOR + noun' (ineligible for benefits) and 'ineligible TO + verb' (ineligible to vote).

Yes, it is most commonly used in formal, official, legal, or administrative contexts, though it is understood in general use.

Explore

Related Words

unfit