unfounded

adjective

un·​found·​ed ˌən-ˈfau̇n-dəd How to pronounce unfounded (audio)
: lacking a sound basis : groundless, unwarranted
an unfounded accusation

Examples of unfounded in a Sentence

the accusation proved to be unfounded
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But what if our fears are simply unfounded, part of a predictable short-sighted response of rejecting change like the Luddites did two centuries earlier when machines revolutionized the textile industry. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025 As rumors swirl about the family’s status in the wake of Trace Cyrus’s open letter of concern to Billy Ray following the family patriarch’s inauguration performance, a Cyrus family source says talk of bad blood is unfounded. Rachel Desantis, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025 It was dismissed as unfounded over a year later, in December 2014. Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025 But the narrative that shoplifting exploded nationwide may have been unfounded. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unfounded 

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfounded was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near unfounded

Cite this Entry

“Unfounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfounded. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

unfounded

adjective
un·​found·​ed ˌən-ˈfau̇n-dəd How to pronounce unfounded (audio)
ˈən-
: lacking a sound base : groundless
unfounded suspicions

More from Merriam-Webster on unfounded

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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