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.
“We have an unprecedented level of unanimity among ownership that it is something that we need to do,” Manfred said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
This year has posed an unprecedented challenge to find safe routings, according to Mark Zee, the founder of New York-based OpsGroup, an independent aviation security advisory group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
"More than a year in pre-trial detention for what would, at worst, amount to white-collar offences is unprecedented in Mauritius," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
"The water has risen to unprecedented levels," Jacques Witkowski, prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, said in a statement on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“An athlete was in the show. It was unprecedented, and it was shocking.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
