unprecedented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unprecedentedly adverb
- unprecedentedness noun
Etymology
Origin of unprecedented
Explanation
Something that is unprecedented is not known, experienced, or done before. If you've never gone on a family beach vacation but you're planning one now, you could refer to it as an unprecedented decision. The root of this word is precedent, a noun referring to something done or said that is used as an example to be followed in the future. In law, a precedent is a legal decision that is used as a standard in future cases. So the adjective unprecedented, meaning "having no precedent," was formed from the prefix un- "not," the noun precedent, and the suffix –ed "having."
Vocabulary lists containing unprecedented
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Fast Food Nation
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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 Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model shows that these rapid advancements could have unprecedented consequences if the technology falls into the wrong hands.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
The Lebanese government has taken unprecedented steps to counter the influence of Hezbollah and Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“The transaction is unprecedented in scale, resulting in the largest local broadcast television group in U.S. history.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
It’s unprecedented, Sinnar explained, because the state-level designation, while distinct, goes beyond the federal law governing the designation of terrorist organizations, which have been restrained by the First Amendment.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
Excessive abdominal noise is an uncommon, but not unprecedented, presenting symptom of infection with the bacteria Clostridium difficile, which can be fatal.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
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.
