unlearn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to forget or lose knowledge of.
-
to discard or put aside certain knowledge as being false or binding.
to unlearn preconceptions.
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unlearnsimple
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unlearnssimple
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have unlearnedperfect
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have unlearntperfect
-
has unlearnedperfect
-
has unlearntperfect
-
am unlearningprogressive
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are unlearningprogressive
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is unlearningprogressive
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have been unlearningperfect progressive
-
has been unlearningperfect progressive
Past
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unlearnedsimple
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unlearntsimple
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had unlearnedperfect
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had unlearntperfect
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was unlearningprogressive
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were unlearningprogressive
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had been unlearningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unlearn
First recorded in 1400–50, unlearn is from the late Middle English word unlernen. See un- 2, learn
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.
"I do think about it deeply, like what did I learn from Sinners? What did I learn from Annie? What did I have to unlearn?," she said.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
I had to unlearn the muscle memory of taking people to a poignant place and then relieving that tension with a punch line.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025
He is still seeking the outer boundaries of his instrument, while everyone else was trying, in some sense, to unlearn that knowledge.
From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024
“Graduates now require not only specific skills but also the ability to continuously learn, unlearn and relearn throughout their careers.”
From Washington Times • Nov. 24, 2023
One veteran agent advised new recruits, “The first thing you’ve got to do is unlearn everything they taught you at the Seat of Government. The second is get rid of those damn manuals.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
