unattested
Americanadjective
-
not certified or confirmed; not attested.
an unattested codicil to her will.
-
of or noting a word, phrase, usage, etc., that has not been proven to exist, especially in writing.
an unattested earlier form reconstructed by linguists.
Etymology
Origin of unattested
First recorded in 1665–70; un- 1 ( def. ) + attest ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
Yet time and again Bach has restored text that was far from clearly missing, or has changed perfectly plausible sounding, but in fact unattested, wording to the standard Lutheran rendering.
From New York Times
By way of facts, we have only a large body of unattested anecdotes of supra-normal successes in crystal-gazing, in many lands and ages; and the scanty records of modern amateur investigators, like the present writer.
From Project Gutenberg
The trade in antiquities is too cheap and easy a thing in Italy to allow faith in unattested relics.
From Project Gutenberg
The reader must decide for himself what credit to attach to statements made by Buchanan, and otherwise unattested.
From Project Gutenberg
It was a mere unattested memorandum; and he pronounced, as the legal phrase is, for the original will.
From Project Gutenberg
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.
