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:
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
“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
He initially came into the spotlight with his 2016 breakthrough Latin-EDM hit “Traicionera” and the 2017 vallenato song “Robarte un Beso,” which he recorded alongside fellow parcero Carlos Vives.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025
It is seen as childish, uncool, un... basketball.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2025
Ee teuk un when us wor liddle, and fed un when us ha’nt no more.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
"We must honestly admit that collectively, we are not yet on track as needed," Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Friday ahead of the formal UN negotiations known as COP17.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
Overall, the number of people helped by the UN agency will drop by about a third - from 1.6 million to 1.1 million.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
UN experts said in their report that Kisangani was serving as a new hub for the deployment of private military companies.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
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
Once you prove to the UN that you’re a refugee in danger, a country has to raise its hand to take you.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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
Efforts to reach the un- and under-vaccinated must continue.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 24, 2022
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
And they’re accompanied by new ghouls: unexplored tabs, undigested takedowns, unheeded #longread tips, unfinished explainers, unwatched unearthed footage, unplumbed Netflix queues, and un- and un- and un-.
From Slate ● Dec. 14, 2014
But I didn’t want to appear un- civilized, so I pulled on my socks despite the fact that they were damp and clammy with sweat.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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
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
Then he’d point to one and say, “Don’t load that ’un.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
