unmarked

[uhn-mahrkt]

See more synonyms for unmarked on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not marked.
Linguistics.
1. characterized by the absence of a distinctive phonological feature, as (p), which, in contrast to (b), lacks the distinctive feature of voicing.
2. characterized by the absence of a grammatical marker, as the singular in English in contrast to the plural, which is typically marked by an -s ending.
3. neutral with regard to an element of meaning specified by a semantically related item.
4. occurring more typically than an alternative form.Compare marked(def 4).

Origin of unmarked

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at un-¹, marked

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for unmarked

clean, fair, fine, flawless, unblemished

Examples from the Web for unmarked

Contemporary Examples of unmarked

Senhor José remains stationary, but this lengthy series of clauses propels the reader along an unmarked path.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago
Charles Shafaieh
January 5, 2015
They pulled up in unmarked cars and on motorcycles, appearing en masse out of the darkness.
Eric Garner Protests: ‘It’s Like Vietnam’
Abby Haglage, Caitlin Dickson, Jacob Siegel, Chris Allbritton
December 5, 2014
On Tuesday, the group witnessed a convoy of 43 unmarked green military trucks with tarpaulin covers moving towards Donetsk.
Thousands of Putin’s Troops Now in Ukraine, Analysts Say
Shane Harris
November 11, 2014
The Lana Del Rey of Born to Die and Ultraviolence never lets her sexual orientation pass by unmarked.
Lana Del Rey Makes Me Wish I Were Straight
Samantha Allen
July 31, 2014
I have walked through the boat junkyards and cemeteries with unmarked graves in Lampedusa many times.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage
Barbie Latza Nadeau
July 25, 2014

Historical Examples of unmarked

The reading of the will, however, was a simple matter, unmarked by any incident.
Doctor Pascal
Emile Zola
She rests in an unknown and unmarked grave in the Platte valley.
Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail
Ezra Meeker
The snow was an immaculate shroud, unmarked by track of bird or beast.
The Trail of '98
Robert W. Service
In unmarked, unmarbled grave, he sleeps his last, long sleep.
A Negro Explorer at the North Pole
Matthew A. Henson
Time has passed, and the backbiters are all in unmarked graves.
Evening Round Up
William Crosbie Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for unmarked

unmarked

adjective

not carrying a mark or marksan unmarked police car
not noticed or observed

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

Word Origin and History for unmarked

adj.

c.1400, "having been given no mark," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of mark (v.). Cf. Old Norse umarkaðr. Meaning "not noticed or observed" is recorded from 1530s.