beyond the pale

1. Totally unacceptable: “His business practices have always been questionable, but this last takeover was beyond the pale.” The Pale in Ireland was a territorial limit beyond which English rule did not extend.

Idioms and Phrases

Outside the bounds of morality, good behavior or judgment; unacceptable. For example, She thought taking the boys to a topless show was beyond the pale. The noun pale, from the Latin palum, meant “a stake for fences” or “a fence made from such stakes.” By extension it came to be used for an area confined by a fence and for any boundary, limit, or restriction, both of these meanings dating from the late 1300s. The pale referred to in the idiom is usually taken to mean the English Pale, the part of Ireland under English rule, and therefore, as perceived by its rulers, within the bounds of civilization.

Example Sentences

However, the government’s latest overreach — bringing a federal felony assault charge against Sean Dunn for throwing a submarine sandwich at an immigration enforcement agent in Washington, D.C. — is beyond the pale.

From Salon

He said: "It would be unacceptable to perform on such a stage given the fact their comments are so beyond the pale."

From BBC

“The level of uncertainty and anxiety that is happening now is beyond the pale,” McCarthy said, for patients and staff alike.

From Los Angeles Times

Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress in Dundee, John Swinney said the band's alleged comments had "crossed a line" and were "beyond the pale".

From BBC

While I’ve long decried the two-tier system of justice for leaks by the politically powerful versus career public servants, the Hegseth case is beyond the pale.

From Salon

Related Words

• banned www.thesaurus.com
• outlawed www.thesaurus.com
• prohibited 
• tabu www.thesaurus.com
• unthinkable