unprecedented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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 unprecedented sighting forced the closure of all 94 public primary and middle schools.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The goal for the 2030s would be 100 kilowatts—a modest amount of electricity on Earth, but unprecedented for space.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Pope Leo XIV will give an unprecedented address on Monday to the Spanish parliament and is set to meet with victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
A. At a basic level, it’s because they need the money: This is a tech revolution that requires unprecedented capital to build gargantuan data centers and pay astronomical salaries.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
It was a hitherto unprecedented golden age of successive human population explosions.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
