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.
The Civilian Oversight Commission has said that such assertions are unfounded, and that state law and court precedent require its subpoenas to be upheld.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The recent crescendo of critiques of health messaging is not unfounded.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
In April, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said concerns that a deal between the sport's two leading competitions would lead to a talent drain from Super League were "completely unfounded".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Wrries about competition from short-form video have proved to be unfounded, in Pershing Square’s view, and Netflix has deep enough pockets to pay for the higher compute costs that could come from long-form high-quality video.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
There were still questions about the wheel’s safety, and unfounded stories circulated about suicides and accidents, including one that alleged that a frightened pug had leaped to its death from one of the car’s windows.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
