unwonted
Americanadjective
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not customary or usual; rare.
unwonted kindness.
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Archaic. unaccustomed or unused.
adjective
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out of the ordinary; unusual
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archaic (usually foll by to) unaccustomed; unused
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unwonted
Explanation
Unwonted is a pretty old-fashioned word now, meaning something unusual or out of the ordinary. Nowadays, unwonted is a pretty unwonted word itself. Unwonted was once a particularly beloved literary term, favored by authors like Henry James and Charles Dickens, whose books were filled with "unwonted circumstances," and the like. Not to be confused — as it often is — with unwanted, meaning not wanted or desired. The confusion arises not just because the words sound identical, but because their meanings overlap: it's a safe bet that anything unwonted is generally unwanted, too.
Vocabulary lists containing unwonted
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tempest
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"To Build a Fire," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
Far on the lonely waste, and distant way, Unwonted sounds are heard, unknown of day.
Unwonted and appalling terror astonied every one, and me more even than the rest.
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. VIII by Various
But, hark! along the forest way Unwonted echoes rung, And all accoutred for the fray A band of warriors sprung!
From In the Saddle A Collection of Poems on Horseback-Riding by Various
Unwonted mental disturbance was playing tricks with Polly's complexion.
From The Town Traveller by Gissing, George
Unwonted to European eyes and mystically heavy is the eternal gloom that seems to have settled upon that region.
From The French in the Heart of America by Finley, John
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.
