un-

¹ 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 ).

---

un- ² 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 ).

---

un ³ American  

[uhn] / ən /

Or 'un

pronoun

Dialect.

1. one.

   young uns; He's a bad un.

---

UN ⁴ American  

Or U.N.

abbreviation

1. United Nations.

---

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

---

UN ² British  

abbreviation

1. United Nations

---

'un ³ British  

/ ən /

pronoun

1. a spelling of one

   that's a big 'un

---

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

---

Usage

This spelling is intended to reflect a dialectal or informal pronunciation

Related Words

See in- ³.

Etymology

Origin of un-¹

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-²

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

Example Sentences

Among the 66 groups, nearly half of them are bodies of the United Nations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - a treaty that underpins all international efforts to combat global warming.

From BBC

The order involves 31 United Nations organizations and 35-non UN entities, it said in a statement on X, without naming them.

From Barron's

“Security in the Arctic must …be achieved collectively,” they wrote, “by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”

From Salon

The experts also said that under UN international maritime law, a stateless vessel can be boarded by authorities.

From BBC

They also called for "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders".

From BBC