- unconcerned (adj.)
- 1630s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of concern.
- unconditional (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + conditional. Related: Unconditionally. Unconditional surrender in the military sense is attested from 1730; in U.S., often associated with Civil War Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the taking of Fort Donelson.
The ringing phrase of Grant's latest despatch circulated through the North like some coinage fresh from the mint, and "Unconditional Surrender," which suited the initials of his modest signature, became like a baptismal name. [James Schouler, "History of the United States of America," Dodd, Mead & Co., 1899].
- unconfirmed (adj.)
- 1560s, "not having received the rite of confirmation," from un- (1) "not" + confirmed. Meaning "not supported by further evidence" is attested from 1670s.
- unconformity (n.)
- c.1600, from un- (1) "not" + conformity. Geological sense is from 1829.
- uncongenial (adj.)
- 1749, from un- (1) "not" + congenial.
- unconquerable (adj.)
- 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + conquer + -able.
- unconscionable (adj.)
- 1560s, "showing no regard for conscience," from un- (1) + now rare conscionable "conscientious." Related: Unconscionably.
- unconscious (adj.)
- 1712, "unaware, not marked by conscious thought," from un- (1) "not" + conscious. Meaning "temporarily insensible, knocked out" is recorded from 1860. In psychology, the noun the unconscious (1884) is a loan-translation of German das Unbewusste. The adjective in this sense is recorded from 1912.
- unconstitutional (adj.)
- 1734, from un- (1) "not" + constitutional.
- unconstrained (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of constrain. Related: Unconstrainedly.
- uncontested (adj.)
- 1670s, from un- (1) "not" + contested.
- uncontrollable (adj.)
- 1570s, "irrefutable," from un- (1) "not" + controllable. From 1590s as "not subject to authority;" meaning "that cannot be restrained" is from 1640s. Related: Uncontrollably.
- uncontrolled (adj.)
- 1510s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of control (v.).
- uncontroverted (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of controvert.
- unconventional (adj.)
- 1832, from un- (1) "not" + conventional. "A 19 cent. epithet for a certain type of affectation." [Weekley] Related: Unconventionally.
- unconverted (adj.)
- 1640s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of convert (v.).
- unconvinced (adj.)
- 1670s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of convince. Unconvincing is recorded from 1650s.
- uncool (adj.)
- 1953, in hipster slang, from un- (1) "not" + slang sense of cool (adj.).
- uncooperative (adj.)
- also uncoöperative, 1847, from un- + cooperative. Related: Uncooperatively.
- uncoordinated
- 1801, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of coordinate.
- uncountable (adj.)
- late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + count + -able.
- uncouple (v.)
- c.1300, from un- (2) "opposite of" + couple (v.). Cf. Middle Dutch ontcoppelen. Related: Uncoupled; uncoupling.
- uncouth (adj.)
- Old English uncuð "unknown, uncertain, unfamiliar," from un- (1) "not" + cuð "known, well-known," past participle of cunnan "to know" (see can (v.)). Meaning "strange, crude, clumsy" is first recorded 1510s. The compound (and the thing it describes) widespread in IE languages, cf. Latin ignorantem, Old Norse ukuðr, Gothic unkunþs, Sanskrit ajnatah, Armenian ancanaut', Greek agnotos, Old Irish ingnad "unknown."
- uncover (v.)
- c.1300, from un- (2) "reverse of" + cover (v.). Earliest use is figurative; literal sense is attested from late 14c. Related: Uncovered; uncovering.
- uncredited (adj.)
- 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of credit.
- uncritical (adj.)
- 1650s, from un- (1) "not" + critical. Cf. Dutch onkritisch, German unkritisch, Danish unkritisk. Related: Uncritically.
- unction (n.)
- late 14c., "act of anointing as a religious rite," from Latin unctionem (nominative unctio) "anointing," from unctus, past participle of ungere "to anoint" (see unguent).
- unctious (adj.)
- common variant of unctuous c.1600-1725.
- unctuous (adj.)
- late 14c., "oily," from Old French unctueus, from Medieval Latin unctuosus "greasy," from Latin unctus "act of anointing," from past participle stem of unguere "to anoint" (see unguent).
Figurative sense of "blandly ingratiating" is first recorded 1742, perhaps in part with a literal sense, but in part a sarcastic usage from unction in the meaning "deep spiritual feeling" (1690s), such as comes from having been anointed in the rite of unction. Related: Unctuously; unctuousness. - uncultivated (adj.)
- 1640s (figurative); 1680s (of plants); 1690s (of land), from un- (1) "not" + past participle of cultivate.
- uncut (adj.)
- early 15c., "not gashed or wounded," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of cut (v.). Of books, "not having the leaves slit open" it is recorded from 1828; of plays, etc., "without excisions," it is attested from 1896.
- undated (adj.)
- "left without indication of date," 1560s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of date (v.1) "assign a date to." Cf. German undatirt, Dutch ongedateerd, Swedish odaterad.
- undaunted (adj.)
- mid-15c., with reference to horses, "untamed, not broken in," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of daunt (v.). In reference to persons, meaning "intrepid" is recorded from 1580s.
- undaunting (adj.)
- 1786, "not quailing" [OED], from un- (1) "not" + present participle of daunt.
- undead (adj.)
- "neither dead nor alive," c.1400, from un- (1) "not" + dead. As a noun meaning "vampires and such," from 1904.
- undecided (adj.)
- 1530s, "not decided, unsettled," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of decide (v.).
- undecipherable (adj.)
- 1758, from un- (1) "not" + decipherable (see decipher).
- undecisive (adj.)
- 1660s, from un- (1) "not" + decisive. The usual word is indecisive.
- undefeated (adj.)
- 1701, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of defeat (v.).
- undefended (adj.)
- 1560s, "not defended, unprotected," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of defend (v.). Attested earlier in a now-obsolete sense of "unforbidden" (late 14c.).
- undefiled (adj.)
- c.1300, undefylde, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of defile (v.). Originally of morals; sexual sense is attested from mid-15c. Physical sense of "not made dirty" is from 1580s.
- undefined (adj.)
- 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of define (v.).
- undelivered (adj.)
- late 15c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of deliver.
- undemanding (adj.)
- 1879, from un- (1) "not" + gerundive of demand (v.).
- undemonstrative (adj.)
- 1826, "not characterized by outward expression of feelings," from un- (1) "not" + demonstrative.
- undeniable (adj.)
- 1540s, from un- (1) "not" + deny + -able. Related: Undeniably.
- under (prep., adv.)
- Old English under, from Proto-Germanic *under- (cf. Old Frisian under, Dutch onder, Old High German untar, German unter, Old Norse undir, Gothic undar), from PIE *ndhero- "lower" (cf. Sanskrit adhah "below;" Avestan athara- "lower;" Latin infernus "lower," infra "below").
Notion of "subordination" was present in Old English Also used in Old English as a preposition meaning "between, among," as still in under these circumstances, etc. (though this may be an entirely separate root; see understand). Productive as a prefix in Old English, as in German and Scandinavian. Under the table is from 1921 in the sense of "very drunk," 1940s in sense of "illegal." To get something under (one's) belt is from 1954; to keep something under (one's) hat "secret" is from 1885; to have something under (one's) nose "in plain sight" is from 1540s; to speak under (one's) breath "in a low voice" is attested from 1832. To be under (someone's) thumb "entirely controlled" is recorded from 1754. - under-achiever (n.)
- also underachiever, 1953, from under + achiever (see achieve). Under-achievement is recorded from 1951.
- under-employed (adj.)
- 1908, "not used to optimum capacity," originally in reference to working persons, from under + past participle of employ.
- under-employment (n.)
- also underemployment, 1909, from under + employment.