unenforceable
unenforceable — adjective
1. describing a rule, contract, or agreement that cannot be applied or made to work
describing a rule, contract, or agreement that cannot be applied or made to work by authorities or by a court — for example, a law that nobody can be punished for breaking, or a deal that a judge will not force either side to follow.
Minho tried to sue the company, but the court ruled the contract clause was unenforceable.
passive: ruled + unenforceable (legal ruling pattern)
The parking rules in this area are unenforceable because no one checks them.
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An agreement that is not signed by both parties may be unenforceable in court.
Stephanie learned that a verbal promise without witnesses is often unenforceable.
- invalid
stronger than unenforceable — suggests the document had no legal effect from the start
- void
similar to 'invalid', often used for contracts that are legally empty
- inoperative
formal; describes a rule or law that is not currently in effect
- enforceable
can be made to work by authorities or courts
文法句型
be unenforceable
rule/contract + is + unenforceable
declare + noun + unenforceable
用法筆記
Common in legal writing and discussions of policy. Most often used as a predicate adjective after the verb 'be' (e.g., 'the rule is unenforceable'), but can also appear attributively (e.g., 'an unenforceable contract'). Distinguish from 'illegal' — an unenforceable agreement is not necessarily against the law; it simply cannot be upheld by a court.