unprompted
adjective
un·prompt·ed
ˌən-ˈpräm(p)-təd 
: not prompted
an unprompted [=spontaneous] observation
… two NBA scouts, unprompted, recently described Clancy as "aggressive" …—
Austin Murphy
Austin Murphy
Examples of unprompted in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here this guy was, unprompted, manifesting his own innocence.
—Simon Webster, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
Amid the fervor on Capitol Hill, there has been little unprompted mention of Palestinian deaths.
—Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
The praise was unprompted, reflecting the awkward reality of playing in one league while planning for another.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Scott threw the first unprompted elbow Ramaswamy's way after the latter offered praise for the other candidates on stage.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2023
Between songs, the crowd chants his name, unprompted: O-T!
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
And of course, there was something uniquely poignant about Fraser’s reaction: an unprompted physical response from a beloved former marquee star to the applause for his comeback as a Hollywood leading man more than 20 turulent years later.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Aug. 2023
An unprompted armed attack would also galvanize the Philippines’ allies like the U.S. and other states in the region to respond in force.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2023
And not one of them, but rather two: Mara and Edgar, who tag-teamed the entire time during the stay and were more attentive than Jeeves on his best day, asking when turndown and maid service should be scheduled unprompted.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 29 June 2023
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Simon Webster, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
Amid the fervor on Capitol Hill, there has been little unprompted mention of Palestinian deaths.
—Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
The praise was unprompted, reflecting the awkward reality of playing in one league while planning for another.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Scott threw the first unprompted elbow Ramaswamy's way after the latter offered praise for the other candidates on stage.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2023
Between songs, the crowd chants his name, unprompted: O-T!
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
And of course, there was something uniquely poignant about Fraser’s reaction: an unprompted physical response from a beloved former marquee star to the applause for his comeback as a Hollywood leading man more than 20 turulent years later.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Aug. 2023
An unprompted armed attack would also galvanize the Philippines’ allies like the U.S. and other states in the region to respond in force.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2023
And not one of them, but rather two: Mara and Edgar, who tag-teamed the entire time during the stay and were more attentive than Jeeves on his best day, asking when turndown and maid service should be scheduled unprompted.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 29 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unprompted.' 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
1659, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unprompted
Cite this Entry
“Unprompted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprompted. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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