unprecedented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Case numbers have shot up at an unprecedented rate.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
When technology is imposing change on virtually all of their systems at an unprecedented and mind-spinning pace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
“We’re seeing the direct translation of AI-generated wealth into housing demand—AI workers are liquidating equity at an unprecedented scale and deploying that capital into the housing market.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Pope Leo XIV will give an unprecedented address on Monday to the Spanish parliament and is set to meet with victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
He’d now won an unprecedented nineteen straight games against the strongest players in the world.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
