I'm writing a paper which includes some analysis of the fact that love cannot be bought. Repeating "cannot be bought" is becoming banal and repetitive, and I was wondering if there is a suitable replacement for it.
asked May 13, 2012 at 0:49
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3I don't suppose unbuyable would be suitable?– waiwai933May 13, 2012 at 0:59
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1or, "not for sale"– J.R.May 13, 2012 at 1:35
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3'priceless'....– GEdgarMay 13, 2012 at 1:46
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3Considering that buy is a “valid word”, and both -able and -un are productive affixes, it necessarily follows that the result of applying them must also be “valid words”. Whatever that means. Never ever ever trust Microsoft for anything.– tchrist ♦May 13, 2012 at 2:22
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1When Word gives squiggly lines, try Wordnik. P.S. If unbuyable gets tired, unpurchasable might work, too.– J.R.May 13, 2012 at 2:28
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3 Answers
Love is infungible.
That doesn't mean you can't buy it. Everyone knows that you can. You just can't exchange it.
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The words to express this idea are invaluable or priceless.
That cannot have a value set upon it
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That has too much connotational baggage. Misery can't be bought either, but very few people would call it invaluable. May 13, 2012 at 5:41
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@OptimalCynic: It does not mean "unable to be bought", but in the context of the OP, it could be used to describe love.– BravoMay 13, 2012 at 7:02
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The OP's question was for a term that means "cannot be bought". Invaluable doesn't mean that, any more than inflammable means not flammable. The joys of English. Note that priceless and valueless are effectively antonyms, despite meaning the same thing by your definition. May 13, 2012 at 20:51
Unavailable has wider application, but I think it would be understood in context as describing what you have in mind.
answered May 13, 2012 at 6:22
