unprecedented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
This was the fourth foray into free agency for James, 41, who will begin his unprecedented 24th NBA season in October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
"This finding is unprecedented for a viral polymerase inhibitor and demonstrates the extraordinary antiviral potency of this drug."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
The firm said the incident was "unprecedented" and that it was conducting an investigation with Hugging Face.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The stylistic parting of ways that started to become evident in the early twentieth century, though, was on an unprecedented scale.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
