unwonted

American

[uhn-wawn-tid, -wohn-, -wuhn-] / ʌnˈwɔn tɪd, -ˈwoʊn-, -ˈwʌn- /

adjective

not customary or usual; rare.

unwonted kindness.
Archaic. unaccustomed or unused.

unwonted British

/ ʌnˈwəʊntɪd /

adjective

out of the ordinary; unusual
archaic (usually foll by to) unaccustomed; unused

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unwontedly adverb
unwontedness noun

Etymology

Origin of unwonted

First recorded in 1545–55; un- ¹ + wonted

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.

This is because of the unwonted affection that the former president displays to his one-time arch-rival.

From BBC

As she spoke, Lucy turned crimson, though it was only momentarily, for her poor wasted veins could not stand for long such an unwonted drain to the head.

From Literature

Her occupation, suspended by Mr. Rochester’s announcement, seemed now forgotten: her eyes, fixed on the blank wall opposite, expressed the surprise of a quiet mind stirred by unwonted tidings.

From Literature

In the unwonted quiet we all wondered apprehensively what would happen next.

From Literature

Some sequences verge on a romp, and the result, though far from Lanthimos’s usual territory, could well bring him an unwonted commercial success.

From The New Yorker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023