unsubstantiated
Americanadjective
-
not substantiated; unproved or unverified.
unsubstantiated allegations.
-
being without form or substance.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unsubstantiated
First recorded in 1765–75; un- 1 + substantiate + -ed 2
Vocabulary lists containing unsubstantiated
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.
Fifa has now itself hit out at "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims", adding that "speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
“He looks forward to vindicating himself in court, where such matters are decided — and not in the media — based on admissible, material evidence, not rank speculation and unsubstantiated allegations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
These claims were unsubstantiated as post-election polling shows that transgender policies are were often ranked low in priorities for surveyed voters.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
The government’s justifications for the probe “are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
The critical issue is the quality of the purported evidence, rigorously and skeptically scrutinized—not what sounds plausible, not the unsubstantiated testimony of one or two self-professed eyewitnesses.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
