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beyond the pale

be·yond the pale
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bee-ond, bih-yond stressed th ee peyl]
    • /biˈɒnd, bɪˈyɒnd stressed ði peɪl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bee-ond, bih-yond stressed th ee peyl]
    • /biˈɒnd, bɪˈyɒnd stressed ði peɪl/

Definitions of beyond the pale words

  • phrase beyond the pale If you think that someone's actions or behaviour are not acceptable, you can say that they are beyond the pale. 3
  • noun beyond the pale outside the limits of social convention 3
  • noun beyond the pale a stake or picket, as of a fence. 1
  • noun beyond the pale an enclosing or confining barrier; enclosure. 1
  • noun beyond the pale an enclosed area. 1
  • noun beyond the pale limits; bounds: outside the pale of his jurisdiction. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of beyond the pale

First appearance:

before 1300
One of the 15% oldest English words
1300-50; Middle English (north), Old English pāl < Latin pālus stake. See peel3, pole1

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Beyond the pale

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

beyond the pale popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 96% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

beyond the pale usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for beyond the pale

adj beyond the pale

  • prohibited — to forbid (an action, activity, etc.) by authority or law: Smoking is prohibited here.
  • banned — to prohibit, forbid, or bar; interdict: to ban nuclear weapons; The dictator banned all newspapers and books that criticized his regime.
  • unthinkable — inconceivable; unimaginable: the unthinkable size of the universe.
  • outlawed — a lawless person or habitual criminal, especially one who is a fugitive from the law.
  • reserved — kept in reserve; forming a reserve: a reserve fund; a reserve supply.

Antonyms for beyond the pale

adj beyond the pale

  • acceptable — Acceptable activities and situations are those that most people approve of or consider to be normal.
  • ok — all right; proceeding normally; satisfactory or under control: Things are OK at the moment.
  • allowed — to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right: to allow a person $100 for expenses.
  • mentionable — to refer briefly to; name, specify, or speak of: Don't forget to mention her contribution to the project.
  • open — not closed or barred at the time, as a doorway by a door, a window by a sash, or a gateway by a gate: to leave the windows open at night.

See also

Matching words

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