- unaided (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of aid (v.).
- unalienable (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + alienable. Related: Unalienably.
- unalloyed (adj.)
- 1670s (figurative); 1760s (literal), from un- (1) "not" + past participle of alloy (v.).
- unalterable (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + alterable. Related: Unalterably.
He reach'd a middle height, and at the stars,
Which are the brain of heaven, he look'd, and sank.
Around the ancient track march'd, rank on rank,
The army of unalterable law.
[George Meredith, "Lucifer in Starlight"]
- unaltered (adj.)
- 1550s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of alter (v.).
- unambiguous (adj.)
- 1630s, from un- (1) "not" + ambiguous. Related: Unambiguously; unambiguousness.
- unanimity (n.)
- mid-15c., from Old French unanimite (14c.), from Late Latin unanimitatem (nominative unanimitas) "unanimity, concord," from unanimus (see unanimous).
- unanimous (adj.)
- 1610s, from Latin unanimus "of one mind, in union," from unus "one" (see one) + animus "mind" (see animus). Related: Unanimously.
- unannounced (adj.)
- 1775, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of announce (v.).
- unanswerable (adj.)
- 1610s, "admitting of no answer," from un- (1) "not" + answerable.
- unanswered (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of answer (v.).
- unanticipated (adj.)
- 1741, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of anticipate (v.).
- unapologetic (adj.)
- 1834, from un- (1) "not" + apologetic. Related: Unapologetically.
- unappeasable (adj.)
- 1560s, from un- (1) "not" + appeasable. Related: Unappeasably.
Desolate winds that cry over the wandering sea;
Desolate winds that hover in the flaming West;
Desolate winds that beat the doors of Heaven, and beat
The doors of Hell and blow there many a whimpering ghost;
O heart the winds have shaken, the unappeasable host
Is comelier than candles at Mother Mary's feet.
[W.B. Yeats, "The Unappeasable Host," 1899]
- unappreciated (adj.)
- 1809, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of appreciate (v.).
- unappreciative (adj.)
- 1834, from un- (1) "not" + appreciative. Related: Unappreciatively; unappreciativeness. Inappreciative is from 1849.
- unapprehended (adj.)
- 1590s, "not understood;" 1610s, "not taken or arrested," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of apprehend (v.).
- unapproachable (adj.)
- 1580s, of places, from un- (1) "not" + approachable. Of persons, "distant, aloof," attested from 1848. Related: Unapproachably.
- unapproved (adj.)
- early 15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of approve (v.).
- unarmed (adj.)
- c. 1300, "with armor removed," from un- (1) "not" + armed, or else past participle adjective from unarm "strip of armor" (c. 1300), from un- (2) "opposite of" + arm (v.). Meaning "not fitted to attack, weaponless" is from late 14c.
- unary (adj.)
- 1923, from Latin unus "one" (see one) on model of binary, etc.
- unashamed (adj.)
- c. 1500, implied in unashamedness, from un- (1) "not" + ashamed. Related: Unashamedly.
- unasked (adj.)
- mid-13c., "uninvited," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of ask (v.). Old English had ungeaxod.
- unaspiring (adj.)
- 1680s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of aspire (v.).
- unassailable (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + assailable (see assail (v.)). Related: Unassailably.
- unassimilated (adj.)
- 1748, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of assimilate (v.).
- unassisted (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of assist (v.). Related: Unassistedly.
- unassuming (adj.)
- "unpretentious, modest," 1726, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of assume (v.). Related: Unassumingly.
- unattached (adj.)
- late 15c., "not arrested or seized," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attach (v.). Meaning "not associated with any body or institution" is recorded from 1796; sense of "single, not engaged or married" is first attested 1874.
- unattainable (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + attainable.
- unattended (adj.)
- c. 1600, "alone, unaccompanied," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attend (v.). Meaning "with no one in attendance" is from 1796.
- unattested (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of attest (v.).
- unattractive (adj.)
- 1729, from un- (1) "not" + attractive. Related: Unattractively; unattractiveness.
- unauthorized (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of authorize (v.).
- unavailability (n.)
- 1855, from un- (2) "opposite of" + availability, or else from unavailable + -ity.
- unavailable (adj.)
- 1540s, "ineffectual," from un- (1) "not" + available. Meaning "incapable of being used" is recorded from 1855. Unavailing has taken up the older sense of the word.
- unavailing (adj.)
- "ineffectual, useless," 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + availing. Also see unavailable.
- unavoidable (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + avoidable. Related: Unavoidably.
- unaware (adj.)
- 1590a; see unawares.
- unawares (adv.)
- 1530s, "without being aware," from un- (1) "not" + aware + adverbial genitive -s. Meaning "without being noticed" is recorded from 1660s. Form unaware is recorded from 1590s.
- unbalance (v.)
- 1856, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + balance (v.).
- unbalanced (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of balance (v.). Earliest use is in reference to the mind, judgment, etc. Of material things, it is recorded from 1732.
- unbar (v.)
- late 14c., from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + bar (v.). Related: Unbarred; unbarring.
- unbearable (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + bearable. Related: Unbearably. Old English had unberendlic.
- unbeatable (adj.)
- 1897, from un- (1) "not" + beatable.
- unbeaten (adj.)
- late 13c., "not beaten or struck," from un- (1) + beaten. In the sense of "undefeated" it is first recorded 1757. Old English had ungebeaten "unwrought, unstruck."
- unbecoming (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + becoming "fitting." Related: Unbecomingly.
- unbefitting (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + befitting.
- unbefriended (adj.)
- from un- (1) "not" + past participle of befriend (v.).
- unbegotten (adj.)
- 1530s, from un- (1) "not" + begotten.
