unduly

adverb

un·​du·​ly ˌən-ˈdü-lē How to pronounce unduly (audio)
-ˈdyü-
: in an undue manner : excessively
an unduly harsh punishment
unduly sensitive

Examples of unduly in a Sentence

taxes that unduly burden homeowners The punishment was unduly harsh.
Recent Examples on the Web Prosecutors from District Attorney Fani Willis’ office and defense attorneys have painstakingly heard a litany of reasons people would be unduly burdened by serving on the trial. George Chidi, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023 The judge also granted the state access to all photos and videos of the girls in competitions from the past three years, even though the girls’ attorneys had argued that would be unduly burdensome. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 Sep. 2023 The judge said at the time that her ruling — which applied to Trump, his attorneys, and government lawyers — was an effort to protect witnesses from being unduly influenced ahead of trial and to shield prosecutors and court employees from being targeted. Robert Legare, CBS News, 26 Oct. 2023 Commission staff see the first stage of the plan, proposed by Chief Executive Patti Poppe, as unduly expensive for PG&E customers, the Wall Street Journal’s Katherine Blunt reports. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 Yet this image of rural life is not overly prettified, nor unduly invested in the idea that a traditional way of life is somehow inherently more virtuous than life in a city. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2023 Not unduly; numerous such alliances have occurred in our youthful 243-year-old republic. Rich Logis, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2023 Loach, the Anchorage emergency manager, said residents shouldn’t be unduly alarmed by the new information but should think about preparedness. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2023 Its natural beauty attracts a literate and engaged population, and its residents, at least from afar, seem unduly blessed with fine weather, prosperity and more than a dose of the good life. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unduly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unduly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near unduly

Cite this Entry

“Unduly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unduly. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

unduly

adverb
un·​du·​ly ˌən-ˈd(y)ü-lē How to pronounce unduly (audio)
ˈən-
: in an undue manner
especially : excessively
unduly upset

Legal Definition

unduly

adverb
un·​du·​ly ˌən-ˈdü-lē, -ˈdyü- How to pronounce unduly (audio)
: in an undue manner : to an excessive degree
unduly influenced the testator
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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