unwarranted
Britishadjective
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lacking justification or authorization
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another word for unwarrantable
Explanation
When something is unwarranted it's not called-for under the given circumstances. For example, debating the merits of someone's talent is one thing, but calling them stupid is unwarranted. I thought the applause was unwarranted. After all, all the guy did was stand there and point for two hours. And when that lady started screaming? That was unwarranted, too: all I did was give her a flat. It was an accident! Think of it this way: when the police want to search your home, they have to get a "warrant" — a document that allows them to enter. To go into your home without a warrant would be unwarranted. A warrant is a kind of justification; without that justification, something could be called unwarranted.
Vocabulary lists containing unwarranted
The Devil's Arithmetic
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
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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.
Unwarranted beliefs—those without basis in reality, like astrology—are dangerous on either side of the equation.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
Unwarranted absences, in Farhadi’s films, are nothing new.
From The New Yorker • Feb. 8, 2019
The Unwarranted Mythology of Oscar Pistorius Buzz Bissinger The news from South Africa was shocking, but maybe it shouldn’t be.
From Newsweek • Feb. 15, 2013
Unwarranted Should cops be forced to get a warrant before giving a blood test to a drunk driver?
From Slate • Jan. 8, 2013
Unwarranted I deem thy great renown Who art to flight addicted.
From The Iliad of Homer Translated into English Blank Verse by William Cowper by Cowper, William
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.
