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.
The US president's outspoken calls to be given the accolade put the five-member committee under unprecedented pressure last year.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
She said the scale of activity in late September was "unprecedented" compared to the previous 12 months.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He’ll be shattering a Dolby Theatre record this week — by selling out an unprecedented consecutive multi-night run of stand-up comedy shows — when he begins his run of six shows Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The scope, unprecedented in the top tier of English soccer, also reshapes how the past 15 years of the Premier League will be remembered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Scheduled flights were delayed by hours, security took an unprecedented length of time, the flight itself was terrifying, but on Saturday morning when Aimee woke up, her mother was standing in her bedroom doorway.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
