unprecedented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unprecedented
Explanation
Something that is unprecedented is not known, experienced, or done before. If you've never gone on a family beach vacation but you're planning one now, you could refer to it as an unprecedented decision. The root of this word is precedent, a noun referring to something done or said that is used as an example to be followed in the future. In law, a precedent is a legal decision that is used as a standard in future cases. So the adjective unprecedented, meaning "having no precedent," was formed from the prefix un- "not," the noun precedent, and the suffix –ed "having."
Vocabulary lists containing unprecedented
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Fast Food Nation
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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.
“As governments and companies seek financing, markets are absorbing unprecedented issuance, increasing competition for scarce capital,” said Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy and research, and Michael Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy, at Glenmede.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Police say the information provides unprecedented ability to identify suspects, pinpoint stolen vehicles and locate missing persons.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Going to trial would have exposed TikTok to unprecedented public scrutiny of how it handles safety internally, with company documents and executive testimony potentially aired in open court.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
The Premier League's case against Manchester City has been one of unprecedented scale and significance.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Once the bugs were worked out of the Bonsack machines, Duke churned cigarettes out of his factories at an unprecedented rate—823 million in 1889—and at a price his competition couldn’t match.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
