unfounded
Americanadjective
-
without foundation; not based on fact, realistic considerations, or the like.
unfounded suspicions.
- Synonyms:
- unjustified, false, idle, groundless, unsubstantiated
-
not established; not founded.
the prophet of a religion as yet unfounded.
adjective
-
(of ideas, allegations, etc) baseless; groundless
-
not yet founded or established
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unfounded
Explanation
Has someone ever told a complete lie about you? Then what they said was unfounded. There is nothing behind an unfounded statement. Things that are unfounded include lies, myths, and sometimes rumors. If something is unfounded, then there is no truth to it: the facts won't back it up. People often use this word when denying something: they'll say "Your words are unfounded!" Made-up creatures like unicorns and werewolves are unfounded. If you're writing a paper for school, you've better make sure nothing in your paper is unfounded — research the facts instead.
Vocabulary lists containing unfounded
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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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.
"I sincerely hope he proves those concerns unfounded, because the Intelligence Community deserves steadier leadership than it has received in recent months," Warner said in a statement after the vote.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Morgan later discovered her fears were unfounded, with both Halliwell and Beckham mentioning her fondly in their autobiographies and wondering what had happened to her after she left the group.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
CoreCivic calls such allegations unfounded and says it complies with all regulations concerning the treatment of detainees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
As it happened, that particular anxiety was unfounded: Back on the Army installation, everyone had seen him on television.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Now she’d see that her fears were unfounded.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
