unrecorded

American  

[uhn-ri-kawr-did] / ˌʌn rɪˈkɔr dɪd /

adjective

1. not recorded; not reported in an official record.

2. not noted in historical documents.

   an unrecorded event; an unrecorded tradition.

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unrecorded British  

/ ˌʌnrɪˈkɔːdɪd /

adjective

1. not recorded on paper, tape, video tape, etc

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Etymology

Origin of unrecorded

First recorded in 1575–85; un- ¹ + record + -ed ²

Explanation

If you neglect to write something down, photograph it, or otherwise document that it happened, it's unrecorded. Many unrecorded events in history are passed on through oral storytelling. When an event is recorded, it's filmed, described in writing, or somehow documented so that it can be referred to later. Anything unrecorded hasn't been captured in a permanent form. If your cousin's violin recital is unrecorded, that means no one took a video. The stories of people who hold little power in society have often gone unrecorded, so they're frequently left out of history books. The Latin root of unrecorded is recordari, "remember."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unrecorded

But beyond that song, Parton said in a 2019 interview for WNYC's "Dolly Parton's America" podcast that she had written "hundreds, even thousands of songs" -- many of them unrecorded.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Routine testing includes payroll, expense vouching, cash procedures, search for unrecorded liabilities, accounts receivable, acquisitions of new buildings and equipment, and the cost of goods sold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

Their stories, for the most part, went unrecorded.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026

You may be alarmed to realize your own unrecorded memories are locked into the perspective of wherever you placed your phone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

In 1936 he established a private fund for Ernest to spend on unscheduled and unrecorded needs of the Rad Lab, including travel and equipment.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• accepted
• tacit
• verbal