- unhuman (adj.)
- 1540s, "inhumane, cruel," from un- (1) "not" + human (adj.). Meaning "destitute of human qualities; superhuman" is from 1782.
- unhygienic (adj.)
- 1883, from un- (1) "not" + hygenic.
- uni-
- word-forming element meaning "having one only," from Latin uni-, comb. form of unus (see one).
- Uniate
- "pertaining to an Eastern Christian church that acknowledges the supremacy of the Pope," 1833, from Russian uniyat, from unia "unity, union," from Latin unus "one" (see one).
- unicameral (adj.)
- 1853, from uni- "one" + Late Latin camera "chamber" (see camera) + -al (1).
- UNICEF
- by 1948, acronym from United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, which was created in 1946 (the name was changed 1953 to United Nations Children's Fund but the acronym endured).
- unicellular (adj.)
- 1858; see uni- + cellular.
- unicorn (n.)
- early 13c., from Old French unicorne, from Late Latin unicornus (Vulgate), from noun use of Latin unicornis (adj.) "having one horn," from uni- "one" (see uni-) + cornus "horn," from PIE *ker- (1) "horn; head, uppermost part of the body" (see horn (n.)).
The Late Latin word translates Greek monoceros, itself rendering Hebrew re'em (Deut. xxxiii.17 and elsewhere), which probably was a kind of wild ox. According to Pliny, a creature with a horse's body, deer's head, elephant's feet, lion's tail, and one black horn two cubits long projecting from its forehead. Compare German Einhorn, Welsh ungorn, Breton uncorn, Old Church Slavonic ino-rogu.
- unicycle (n.)
- 1869, American English, from Latin uni- "one" (see uni-) + -cycle, from bicycle (from Greek kyklos "circle, wheel").
- unidentifiable (adj.)
- 1859, from un- + identifiable.
- unidentified (adj.)
- 1860, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of identify (v.).
- unidirectional (adj.)
- 1883, from uni- + directional (see direction).
- unification (n.)
- 1849, noun of action from unify (v.). Unification Church was founded 1954.
- uniform (adj.)
- 1530s, "of one form," from Middle French uniforme (14c.), from Latin uniformis "having only one form or shape," from uni- "one" (see uni-) + forma "form" (see form (n.)). Related: Uniformly.
- uniform (n.)
- "distinctive clothes worn by one group," 1748, from French uniforme, from the adjective (see uniform (adj.)).
- uniform (v.)
- 1680s, "to make alike," from uniform (adj.). Meaning "to dress in a uniform" is from 1861. Related: Uniformed.
- uniformitarian (n.)
- 1840 in geology, from uniformity + -arian. Related: Uniformitarianism (1865).
- uniformity (n.)
- early 15c., from Old French uniformite (14c.) or directly from Late Latin uniformitatem (nominative uniformitas) "uniformity," from Latin uniformis (see uniform (adj.)).
- unify (v.)
- c. 1500, "to make into one," from Middle French unifier (14c.) or directly from Late Latin unificare "make one," from Latin uni- "one" (see uni-) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Related: Unified; unifying. Unified (field) theory in physics is recorded from 1935.
- unilateral (adj.)
- 1802, from Modern Latin unilateralis, from unum, neuter of unus "one" (see one) + latus (genitive lateralis) "side" (see oblate (n.)). Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) may have been the first to use it in the legal sense of "made or entered into by one party." Related: Unilaterally. Unilateral disarmament is recorded from 1929.
It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion. [William Ralph Inge, "Outspoken Essays," 1919]
- unilateralism (n.)
- 1926, from unilateral + -ism. Earliest usages seem to be in the sense of "advocate of unilateral disarmament." Meaning "pursuit of a foreign policy without allies" is attested by 1964.
- unimaginable (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + imaginable. Related: Unimaginably.
- unimaginative (adj.)
- 1802, from un- (1) "not" + imaginative.
- unimpaired (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of impair (v.). Rare before c. 1760.
- unimpeachable (adj.)
- 1784, from un- (1) "not" + impeachable. Related: Unimpeachably.
- unimpeded (adj.)
- 1760, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of impede (v.).
- unimportance (n.)
- 1751; see unimportant + -ance.
- unimportant (adj.)
- 1750, from un- (1) "not" + important (adj.). Used earlier in a sense of "unassuming, modest" (1727). Related: Unimportantly.
- unimposing (adj.)
- "unimpressive," 1809, from un- (1) "not" + imposing.
- unimpressed (adj.)
- 1861, "not awed," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of impress (v.). Used earlier in a sense of "not subjected to restraint" (1743). Unimpressive is recorded from 1796.
- unimproved (adj.)
- 1660s, "not made better," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of improve (v.). Sense of "not developed or taken advantage of" (of land) is recorded from 1781.
- unincorporated (adj.)
- 1715, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of incorporate (v.).
- uninflected (adj.)
- 1713, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of inflect (v.).
- uninfluenced (adj.)
- 1734, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of influence (v.).
- uninformed (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of inform. Originally in reference to some specific matter or subject; general sense of "uneducated, ignorant" is recorded from 1640s.
- uninhabitable (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + inhabitable.
- uninhabited (adj.)
- 1570s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of inhabit (v.).
- uninhibited (adj.)
- 1880, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of inhibit.
- uninitiated (adj.)
- 1670s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of initiate (v.).
- uninjured (adj.)
- 1570s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of injure (v.).
- uninquisitive (adj.)
- c. 1600, from un- (1) "not" + inquisitive.
- uninspired (adj.)
- 1680s, from un- (1) "not" + inspired.
- unintelligent (adj.)
- c. 1600, from un- (1) "not" + intelligent (adj.). Related: Unintelligently.
- unintelligible (adj.)
- 1610s, "incapable of being understood," from un- (1) "not" + intelligible. Related: Unintelligibly.
- unintended (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of intend (v.).
- unintentional (adj.)
- 1701, from un- (1) "not" + intentional (adj.). Related: Unintentionally.
- uninterested (adj.)
- 1640s, "unbiased," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of interest (v.). It later meant "disinterested" (1660s); sense of "unconcerned, indifferent" is recorded from 1771. This is the correct word for what often is miscalled disinterested.
- uninteresting (adj.)
- "not capable of exciting interest," 1769, from un- (1) "not" + interesting.
- uninterrupted (adj.)
- c. 1600, "continuous;" 1650s, "undisturbed," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of interrupt. Related: Uninterruptedly.
- uninvite (v.)
- "countermand an invitation," 1660s, from un- (2) "opposite of" + invite (v.). Related: Uninvited; uninviting.
