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• un
  un

  pronoun

  one.
• UN
  UN

  abbreviation

  United Nations.
• un-
  un-

  a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able ), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment ).
• 'un
  'un

  pronoun

  a spelling of one

un

¹ American  

[uhn] / ən /

Or 'un

pronoun

Dialect.

1. one.

   young uns; He's a bad un.

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UN ² American  

Or U.N.

abbreviation

1. United Nations.

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un- ³ American  

1. a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able ), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment ).

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un- ⁴ American  

1. a prefix freely used in English to form verbs expressing a reversal of some action or state, or removal, deprivation, release, etc. (unbend; uncork; unfasten , etc.), or to intensify the force of a verb already having such a meaning (unloose ).

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un- ¹ British  

prefix

1. denoting reversal of an action or state

   uncover

   untangle

2. denoting removal from, release, or deprivation

   unharness

   unman

   unthrone

3. (intensifier)

   unloose

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UN ² British  

abbreviation

1. United Nations

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'un ³ British  

/ ən /

pronoun

1. a spelling of one

   that's a big 'un

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un- ⁴ British  

prefix

1. (freely used with adjectives, participles, and their derivative adverbs and nouns: less frequently used with certain other nouns) not; contrary to; opposite of

   uncertain

   uncomplaining

   unemotionally

   untidiness

   unbelief

   unrest

   untruth

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Usage

This spelling is intended to reflect a dialectal or informal pronunciation

Synonym Usage

See in- ³.

Etymology

Origin of un-³

Middle English un-, on-, Old English; cognate with Dutch on-, Gothic, German un-, Old Norse ū-, ō-; akin to Latin in-, Greek an-, a-. See a- ⁶, an- ¹, in- ³

Origin of un-⁴

Middle English, Old English un-, on-; cognate with Gothic and-, Dutch ont-, German ent-; akin to Latin ante, Greek antí; cf. ante-, anti-

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

un UN un- 'un

Nerves crept in, and as the match entered extra time, Spain began to fear that this final would go down as un robo, a robbery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, told the French they should "prenez un grip" and "donnez-moi un break".

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025

Living in Paris for a year certainly had its share of stresses, mostly because my French language skills never really advanced beyond me saying, Je parle français un petit peu, before switching to English.

From Slate ● Jan. 6, 2025

If you do, you’re likely to respond to “Femme Piquée par un Serpent” with ambivalence and frustration.

From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2024

“Actually, no. El capitan of the fort is Francisco Menendez, a black man. He was once un esclavo—a slave.”

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper

The two Asian powers have often found common ground at UN climate negotiations, pushing back against Western demands for emissions cuts and arguing that developing countries should not bear the same burden as industrialised nations.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Experts working for the UN Human Rights Council wrote in April that Mohammed had been receiving death threats and online abuse for years, which were "believed to come from extremist religious militia".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Nations are steeling for a disappointing report card at this month's UN biodiversity summit, with governments falling short on their commitments to protect the plants, animals and ecosystems that sustain life on Earth.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa make the perilous journey each year hoping to reach Gulf countries for safety and work, according to the UN agency.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

They made the walls with branches of trees and grass that they covered with mud, and the UN gave us a big piece of nylon fabric to use as a roof.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

What fascinating characters “The English” has at the margins quickly cycle in and out of the miniseries — bad men and women whose motivations and backgrounds remain un- or underexplored.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2022

So reasonable or un- is the wrong standard.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 2, 2022

All of which is to say that in ways both subtle and not, intentional and un-, he has complicated his relationship with audiences, elaborated and often inverted the idea of Matt Damon.

From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2021

This sense of being un- or under-written raises the spectre of another English author, Rachel Cusk, whose “Outline” trilogy dispenses with many of the classic techniques—plot, dialogue—that give fiction shape.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 24, 2018

His skin is pale and looks un- wholesomely tender, like the skin under a scab.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

The young ’un is Trey McKinney, a wiry prodigy who broke into Elite Series fishing in his teens and has twice finished runner-up for Angler of the Year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

“I can tell a wrong ‘un a mile away.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2022

While the current Covid pandemic is not "the big 'un" in terms of disasters, it has highlighted weaknesses in how we live, he says.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2020

In French, it’s called ‘un sot-l’y-laisse’—i.e., only an idiot leaves it behind.”

From Fox News ● Jul. 24, 2020

Then he’d point to one and say, “Don’t load that ’un.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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