unprecedented

adjective

ˌən-ˈpre-sə-ˌden-təd How to pronounce unprecedented (audio)
Definition of unprecedentednext
as in novel
not known or experienced before this is an unprecedented request for the reference desk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unprecedented The victory marks an unprecedented fourth presidential term for Lula and a remarkable comeback victory. — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The agents have also been on an unprecedented shopping spree. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026 While not unprecedented for a robot, what makes this feat interesting is that the robot achieved this using its legs while maintaining balance. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Together, the groups argue that the executive branch lacks legal authority to intervene in state-run elections and is attempting an unprecedented override of state election administration with early voting already underway. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unprecedented
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unprecedented
  1. novel
  2. new
  3. strange
  4. unfamiliar
  5. fresh
  6. unheard-of
  7. original
Adjective
  • In 1938 Hungarian journalist László Bíró, fed up with the constant need to refill fountain pens and deal with their messy ink, patented a novel design.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Yet every experiment brings us closer to a system that can learn about novel changes in its surroundings and make informed choices on what action to take next.
    — Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of novel
Adjective
  • While Usher was off basking in the afterglow of Confessions, maturing into a divorcé in the mid-2000s, the R&B world was already priming itself for a new-school successor.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Many voters thank him ​for pulling Serbia from economic obscurity and orchestrating a period of sustained modernisation including new highways, railways, schools and hospitals.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of new
Adjective
  • After Orson’s reading from the novel, the broadcast cuts in on a weather report that is then followed by a dance music concert, but the smooth tango music is interrupted by breaking news of strange explosions on Mars.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • However, a strange light phenomenon and the arrival of her physicist ex-husband pull her back into the scientific world.
    — Cooper Katz McKim, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • When a manageable investment can bring a decent return, producers can risk something unfamiliar, and audiences can afford to try it.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Shimizu notes that everyone carries a different idea of what cinema is, and that films made with a theater in mind are becoming unfamiliar to many.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfamiliar
Adjective
  • Memories are fresh of the nationwide protests sparked by economic pressures that led to a deadly crackdown weeks before the war.
    — Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Most of the candy is in spotless Plexiglas bins, hundreds of them, and throughout the shop are fresh confections such as ice cream, sodas, a chocolate fountain.
    — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of fresh
Adjective
  • All that is contributing to unheard-of increases in sea levels.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Financial Times reported last month that Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s IPO advisers were lobbying credit-rating agencies for blue-chip status, which would be almost unheard-of for companies as unprofitable as both AI labs are.
    — Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of unheard-of
Adjective
  • The original owners were vaudevillians who had a mind-reading act and were passionately into the occult.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The new record is the closest that the two have come to infusing their distinctive DJing style into their original productions.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of original

Browse Nearby Words

unpopularity
unprecedented
unpredictability
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Cite this Entry

“Unprecedented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unprecedented. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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