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
  • Chef Williams Saurina adds his own touches, with novel spins on ceviche, zesty salsas flecked with pumpkin seeds, and aromatic Tikin Xic (sea bass with recado rojo, made from local achiote, wrapped in totomoxtle leaf).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Making collaboration count That same logic is also driving interest in sourcing pools—by no means a novel concept but one that has been discussed more in the abstract than put into practice.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 28 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
  • Alexi’s script gets to the heart of the strange, necessary bonds between humans and animals.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Something in the movement of his hands, too fast, too smooth, too precise, and something in the play of the light and shadow across his knuckles, reveals that something strange is at work.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 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
  • Don’t miss the 153-year-old Point Arena Lighthouse, where a climb up the 115-foot tower yields birds-eye views and the Signal Museum houses the original Fresnel lens.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Not every case deserves that kind of last-minute intervention, but in Duckett’s case nearly every shred of evidence presented at his original trial has been disproven or debunked.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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