- unredeemed (adj.)
- 1540s, "unsaved;" 1805, "not balanced by any good quality," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of redeem (v.).
- unredorded (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of record (v.).
- unrefined (adj.)
- 1590s, "not refined in manners," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of refine (v.). Meaning "not free from gross matter" is recorded from 1610s.
- unreformed (adj.)
- 1520s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reform (v.).
- unregenerate (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + regenerate (adj.).
- unrelated (adj.)
- 1660s, "not akin," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of relate (v.). Meaning "not in any relationship" is attested from 1660s; that of "not told" is from 1764.
- unrelenting (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of relent (v.). Related: Unrelentingly.
- unreliable (adj.)
- 1835 (Fanny Kemble), from un- (1) "not" + reliable (adj.).
- unrelieved (adj.)
- "monotonous, unvarying," 1764, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of relieve (v.).
- unremarkable (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + remarkable (adj.). Related: Unremarkably.
- unremitted (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of remit (v.).
- unremitting (adj.)
- 1728, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of remit (v.). Related: Unremittingly.
- unrepairable (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + repairable (adj.). Related: Unrepairably.
- unrepentant (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + repentant (adj.).
- unrequited (adj.)
- 1540s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of requite (v.). The earliest reference is to love.
- unreserved (adj.)
- 1530s, "not restricted or withheld," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reserve (v.). From 1713 as "open, frank." Related: Unreservedly.
- unresisting (adj.)
- 1620s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of resist (v.).
- unresolved (adj.)
- 1570s, "undecided" (of questions), from un- (1) "not" + past participle of resolve (v.). Meaning "uncertain in opinion" is attested from 1590s.
- unresponsive (adj.)
- 1660s, "unable to reply," from un- (1) "not" + responsive (adj.). Meaning "not responding" is from 1775. Related: Unresponsiveness.
- unrest (n.)
- mid-14c., from un- (1) "not" + rest (n.). Similar formation in West Frisian onrest, Middle Low German unreste, German unrast, Middle Dutch onruste.
- unrestrained (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of restrain (v.). Related: Unrestrainedly.
- unrestricted (adj.)
- 1766, from un- (1) "not" + restricted.
- unrewarded (adj.)
- early 15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reward (v.).
- unrighteous (adj.)
- 1520s; see un- (1) "not" + righteous (adj.). In Middle English, the word was unrightwis, from Old English unrihtwis. Related: Unrighteously; unrighteousness.
- unripe (adj.)
- Old English unripe "premature" (in reference to death), from un- (1) "not" + ripe (adj.). Meaning "immature, not fully developed (of fruit, etc.) is recorded from mid-13c. Similar formation in Middle Dutch onrijp, Old High German unrifi, German unreif.
- unrivalled (adj.)
- also unrivaled, 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of rival (v.).
- unroll (v.)
- early 15c. (transitive), from un- (2) + roll (v.). Intransitive sense from 1580s. Related: Unrolled; unrolling.
- unromantic (adj.)
- 1731, from un- (1) "not" + romantic (adj.).
- unruffled (adj.)
- 1650s in figurative sense, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of ruffle (v.). Literal meaning, in reference to feathers, leaves, etc., is recorded from 1816.
- unruly (adj.)
- "disposed to resist lawful restraint," c. 1400, from un- (1) "not" + obsolete ruly (adj.) "amenable to rule." Related: Unruliness.
- unsafe (adj.)
- 1590s, "involving risk or danger," from un- (1) "not" + safe (adj.).
- unsaid (adj.)
- Old English unsæd, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of say (v.). Similar formation in Middle Dutch ongeseit, German ungesagt, Old Norse usagðr.
- unsalted (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of salt (v.). Similar formation in North Frisian unsalted, Swedish osaltad, Danish usaltet.
- unsanitary (adj.)
- 1871, from un- (1) "not" + sanitary (adj.).
- unsatiable (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + satiable (adj.). Since 17c. the usual form is insatiable.
- unsatisfactory (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + satisfactory (adj.). Related: Unsatisfactorily; unsatisfactoriness.
- unsatisfied (adj.)
- early 15c., from un- (1) "not" + satisfied (adj.).
- unsaturated (adj.)
- 1756, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of saturate (v.).
- unsavory (adj.)
- also unsavoury, early 13c., "tasteless, insipid," from un- (1) "not" + savory (adj.). Meaning "unpleasant or disagreeable to the taste" is attested from late 14c.; of persons, from c. 1400. Related: Unsavoriness.
- unscathed (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of scathe (v.). Mainly in Scottish before 19c. Similar formation in Old Norse ostaðaðr, Swedish oskadad.
- unschooled (adj.)
- 1580s, "untrained," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of school (v.). A verb unschool is attested from 1820.
- unscramble (v.)
- "restore to order," 1911, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + scramble (v.). The original use is in a quip attributed to U.S. financier J.P. Morgan (1837-1913) about the impossibility of unscrambling an omelet.
Mr. Morgan is credited with the aphorism that the recent trust decisions are like an order to a cook to "unscramble" the eggs which have just been prepared. [Proceedings of the Academy of Political Science," January 1912]
Related: Unscrambled; unscrambling.
- unscriptural (adj.)
- 1650s, from un- (1) "not" + scriptural (adj.).
- unscrupulous (adj.)
- 1803, from un- (1) "not" + scrupulous (adj.). Related: Unscrupulously; unscrupulousness.
- unseal (v.)
- early 15c., from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + seal (v.). Similar formation in Middle Dutch ontsegelen, Old High German intsigilan. Related: Unsealed (late 14c.).
- unsearchable (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + searchable (adj.).
- unseasonable (adj.)
- mid-15c., "inopportune," from un- (1) "not" + seasonable (adj.). In reference to weather, "not appropriate to the time of year," it is recorded from 1510s. Related: Unseasonably.
- unseasoned (adj.)
- 1580s, "not made palatable by seasoning," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of season (v.). Meaning "not habituated by experience" is recorded from c. 1600.
- unseat (v.)
- 1590s, "to throw down from a seat" (especially on horseback), from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + seat (v.). Meaning "to deprive of rank or office" is attested from 1610s; especially of elected office in a representative body from 1834. Related: Unseated; unseating.
- unsecure (adj.)
- 1630s, from un- (1) "not" + secure (adj.). A useful differentiation from insecure since the latter word acquired a psychological sense.
