unwritten
Americanadjective
-
not actually formulated or expressed; customary; traditional.
- Synonyms:
- inferred, tacit, understood, implicit
-
not written; not put in writing or print; oral.
an unwritten agreement.
-
containing no writing; blank.
adjective
-
not printed or in writing
-
effective only through custom; traditional
-
without writing upon it
Etymology
Origin of unwritten
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English unwriten; see un- 1, written
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But if the fighting in Iran stretches into a second month, heightening financial pressure on U.S. workers, the written and unwritten rules about office attendance could get put to the test.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
“Smoglandia” is a great California yarn, and one with the ending still unwritten.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
An unwritten rule has it that the top UN post rotates among the world's main regions, and now it's the turn of Latin America.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
I began to think less about unvisited places and more about unwritten novels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
There is this unwritten rule: We all respect each other.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
