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 • Mar. 30, 2018
The trade in antiquities is too cheap and easy a thing in Italy to allow faith in unattested relics.
From From the Oak to the Olive A Plain record of a Pleasant Journey by Howe, Julia Ward
The law will give effect to the identifying agreement, although it is separate from the will and unattested.
From By Advice of Counsel by Train, Arthur Cheney
It was a mere unattested memorandum; and he pronounced, as the legal phrase is, for the original will.
From Memoir of Queen Adelaide Consort of King William IV. by Doran, Dr. John
In respect of sales unattested by any written evidence this is a reasonable rule, and so far as they are concerned we have made no innovations.
From The Institutes of Justinian by Moyle, John Baron
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.
