unwritten

[uhn-rit-n]

adjective

1. not actually formulated or expressed; customary; traditional.

   Synonyms: inferred, tacit, understood, implicit

2. not written; not put in writing or print; oral.

   an unwritten agreement.

3. containing no writing; blank.

unwritten

/ ʌnˈrɪtən /

adjective

1. not printed or in writing

2. effective only through custom; traditional

3. without writing upon it

Word History and Origins

Origin of unwritten¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English unwriten; un- ¹, written

Example Sentences

The unwritten rules: the bigger, the louder, the splashier, the starrier, the better.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It was an unwritten rule in American politics that former presidents did not attack current presidents.

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There is a collective, unwritten understanding that what transpires within a team, stays in the team.

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In our political system, it's hard to think of other areas where there is the same kind of unwritten rule.

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Horvath argues that the fact that Measure J could have been unwritten in the first place is why Measure G was so needed.

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Related Words

• accepted 
• tacit 
• verbal