unprompted

adjective

un·​prompt·​ed ˌən-ˈpräm(p)-təd How to pronounce unprompted (audio)
: not prompted
an unprompted [=spontaneous] observation
… two NBA scouts, unprompted, recently described Clancy as "aggressive" …Austin Murphy

Examples of unprompted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Days before the report card was revealed, team president Tom Garfinkel spoke at Dolphins Challenge Cancer and, unprompted, spoke about Ross’ unrelenting desire to win. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 On one of my visits to Hamburger America, no fewer than three employees mentioned, unprompted, that the hot ham sandwich was the sleeper hit of the whole menu. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprompted was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near unprompted

Cite this Entry

“Unprompted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprompted. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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