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.
Since then, the team has enjoyed unprecedented success on and off the court.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
It said there had been "unprecedented" average pay rises and financial incentives offered for "crunch" - a video game industry term for excessive, sometimes unpaid, overtime in the lead-up to a game's release.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
PayPal in the late 1990s allowed peer-to-peer trade on an unprecedented scale but drew swindlers, so its founders developed a digital system to detect fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
Anderson, who has fought in the courts for decades for priest accountability, said “This is unprecedented, and this gives me hope.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
"I am going to do something unprecedented in the history of our kingdom, and I hope you'll prove that it's the right decision."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
