un
pronoun
one.
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un
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UN
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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 ).
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'un
un
1 American
[uhn]
/ ən /
Or
'un
pronoun
Dialect.
UN
2
American
Or
U.N.
abbreviation
un-
3
American
un-
4
American
un-
1
British
prefix
-
denoting reversal of an action or state
uncover
untangle
-
denoting removal from, release, or deprivation
unharness
unman
unthrone
-
(intensifier)
unloose
UN
2
British
abbreviation
'un
3
British
/ ən /
pronoun
un-
4
British
prefix
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-
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.
See Examples For:
“Soy un prisionero de guerra,” Maduro replied—which translates to “I’m a prisoner of war”—as court officers escorted the man out of the room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 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
Lafourcade emerged on the scene in 2002 with her self-titled debut album, a fusion of rock en español, pop, jazz and bossa nova that produced hits like “En el 2000” and “Busca un Problema.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2024
“Yes, and she just used to say it in this way: ‘Qu’avez vous donc? lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!’
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki, a diplomat who represented Quito in the United States, has entered the race to lead the UN, the head of the General Assembly said in a letter Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
The UN Security Council met last month for the first so-called "straw poll" to gauge support for the then-seven candidates for the secretary-general role.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
For some sceptics, even inside the UN, there's worry that the Mosaic approach isn't going to work either.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
UN officials insist all issues were discussed, and that subsequent meetings included their participation.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
A duty tour of the UN and a post-UN sandwich!
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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
Over the next two span my new cloak kept me warm on my occasional walks to Imre, where I was consistently un- successful in finding Denna.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Mr Morris explained: "I said to my partner 'That looks like the couple that were in the news', and she said 'She's definitely got something under that coat. It may be a little 'un'."
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2024
“I can tell a wrong ‘un a mile away.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2022
In French, it’s called ‘un sot-l’y-laisse’—i.e., only an idiot leaves it behind.”
From Fox News ● Jul. 24, 2020
Terry wrong ’un In 2007 Sir Terry Wogan wrongly announced Cyndi as the act who had been chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 21, 2015
“No, but like they air a-sayin’ down in Newton, Matt’s young ’un made it plain that the fam’ly still sticks up fer Bill.”
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
