- unpack (v.)
- late 15c., from un- (2) + pack (v.). Cf. Dutch ontpakken. Related: Unpacked; unpacking.
- unpaid (adj.)
- late 14c., in reference to persons, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of pay (v.). Of debts, attested from late 15c.
- unpalatable (adj.)
- 1680s, from un- (1) "not" + palatable.
- unparalleled (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of parallel. Unparallel as an adjective is recorded from 1650s.
- unpaved (adj.)
- 1530s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of pave (v.).
- unpenetrable (adj.)
- c.1400, from un- (1) "not" + penetrable. The usual word now is impenetrable.
- unperceived (adj.)
- mid-14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of perceive (v.).
- unperturbed (adj.)
- early 15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of perturb.
- unplanned (adj.)
- by 1804, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of plan.
- unpleasant (adj.)
- 1530s, from un- (1) "not" + pleasant. Related: Unpleasantly; unpleasantness.
- unpolished (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of polish (v.). In reference to style, language, etc., attested from late 15c.
- unpopular (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + popular.
- unpracticed (adj.)
- 1550s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of practice (v.).
- unprecedented (adj.)
- 1620s, from un- (1) "not" + precedented. In common use from c.1760.
- unpredictable (adj.)
- 1857, from un- (1) "not" + predictable. Related: Unpredictably; unpredictability.
- unprejudiced (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of prejudice.
- unpremeditated (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of premeditate.
- unprepared (adj.)
- 1540s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of prepare (v.).
- unprepossessing (adj.)
- 1816, from un- (1) "not" + prepossessing.
- unpretentious (adj.)
- 1859, from un- (1) "not" + pretentious. Related: Unpretentiously; unpretentiousness.
- unprincipled (adj.)
- 1630s, "not instructed" (in something), from un- (1) "not" + principled. Meaning "not honorable" is recorded from 1640s.
- unproductive (adj.)
- 1756, from un- (1) "not" + productive.
- unprofessional (adj.)
- 1806, from un- (1) "not" + professional.
- unprofitable (adj.)
- early 14c., from un- (1) "not" + profitable. Related: Unprofitably.
- unpromising (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + promising (see promise).
- unpropitious (adj.)
- c.1600 (implied in unpropitiously), from un- (1) "not" + propitious.
- unprovoked (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of provoke.
- unpublished (adj.)
- c.1600, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of publish. In reference to an author, attested from 1934.
- unpunctual (adj.)
- 1740, from un- (1) "not" + punctual.
- unqualified (adj.)
- 1550s, "not having necessary qualifications, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of qualify. Meaning "not modified or limited" is recorded from 1796.
- unquantifiable (adj.)
- 1888, from un- + quantifiable (see quantify). Related: Unquantifiably.
- unquenchable (adj.)
- late 14c., of fire; 1560s, of thirst, from un- (1) "not" + quench + -able. Related: Unquenchably.
- unquestionable (adj.)
- c.1600, from un- (1) "not" + questionable. Related: Unquestionably.
- unquote (v.)
- 1935, from un- (2) + quote (v.). Originally (obviously) in speaking; first written record is in a letter of e.e. cummings.
- unravel (v.)
- c.1600, from un- (2) + ravel.
- unreachable (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + reach + -able.
- unreadable (adj.)
- c.1810, of written material, "dull, distasteful," from un- (1) "not" + readable. Meaning "illegible" is from 1830.
- unready (adj.)
- mid-14c., "not prepared," from un- (1) "not" + ready. In English history, applied to Anglo-Saxon King Æðelræd II (968-1016), where it preserves the fuller original sense of Old English ungeræd "ill-advised, rede-less, no-counsel" and plays on the king's name (which means "good-counsel"). The epithet is attested from early 13c. Old English ræda "advise, counsel" is related to read (v.). Rede "counsel" survived in poetic usage to 17c. An attempted revival by Scott (19c.) failed, though it is used in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."
- unreal (adj.)
- c.1600, "not real," from un- (1) "not" + real (adj.). Slang sense of "wonderful, great" is first recorded 1965.
Hence horrible shadow, Vnreall mock'ry hence. ["Macbeth," III.iv.107]
- unrealistic (adj.)
- 1865, from un- (1) "not" + realistic. Related: Unrealistically.
- unreasonable (adj.)
- mid-14c., from un- (1) "not" + reasonable. Related: Unreasonably.
- unrecognizable (adj.)
- 1817, from un- (1) "not" + recognize + -able. Related: Unrecognizably.
- unreconciled (adj.)
- mid-15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reconcile.
- unreconstructed (adj.)
- 1867, "not reconciled to the outcome of the American Civil War," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reconstruct. See Reconstruction.
- unrefined (adj.)
- 1590s, "not refined in manners," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of refine (v.). Meaning "not free from gross matter" is recorded from 1610s.
- unreformed (adj.)
- 1520s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of reform.
- unregenerate (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + regenerate (adj.).
- unrelated (adj.)
- 1660s, "not akin," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of relate. Meaning "not in any relationship" is attested from 1660s; that of "not told" is from 1764.
- unrelenting (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of relent.
- unreliable (adj.)
- 1840, from un- (1) "not" + reliable. First recorded in De Quincey, who said it was coined by Coleridge.