unlearned

American

[uhn-lur-nid, uhn-lurnd] / ʌnˈlɜr nɪd, ʌnˈlɜrnd /

adjective

not learned; not scholarly or erudite.
uneducated; untaught; unschooled; ignorant.
not acquired by instruction, study, etc.
known without being learned.
of or relating to uneducated persons.

unlearned British

/ ʌnˈlɜːnɪd /

adjective

ignorant or untaught

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unlearnedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of unlearned

First recorded in 1350–1400, unlearned is from the Middle English word unlerned. See un- ¹, learned

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.

This is learned behavior and can be unlearned.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

“Artists should have unlearned having one platform being their main vehicle,” Flanagan said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2024

They have unlearned how to do anything but hold each other for time, fatally unaware of how much the other fighter has left in the tank.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2023

And now here we are in 2023 and it feels like have we unlearned all of that?

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2023

Lelia says there are certain mental pathways of speaking that can never be unlearned.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023