unrecognizable

UK: ʌnˈrɛkəɡnaɪzəbl | US: ʌnˈrɛkəɡnaɪzəbl

Definition

  1. adj. impossible to identify or distinguish due to significant change or lack of familiar features

  2. adj. not able to be acknowledged or accepted as valid

Structure
un <not>recognize <identify>able <capable of>
Etymology

The word combines three morphemes:

  1. "un-" (Old English "un-"), a prefix meaning "not," negates the root.
  2. "recognize" (Latin "recognoscere," from "re-" [again] + "cognoscere" [to know]), meaning "to identify."
  3. "-able" (Latin "-abilis"), a suffix indicating capability.
    The term evolved in Modern English to describe something altered beyond identification or acceptance. Its logic follows a clear path: "not" + "identify" + "possible."
Examples

  1. After the accident, the car was completely unrecognizable.

  2. Her voice was so hoarse it became unrecognizable.

  3. The old neighborhood is now unrecognizable due to urban development.

  4. The document was altered to the point of being unrecognizable.

  5. His kindness made him unrecognizable as the ruthless businessman he once was.