unprecedented
/ʌn'presidəntid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having no precedent; never having happened, been done, or been known before: Describes something that is completely new, original, or without any prior example in history or experience.
- Novel; unparalleled: Indicates something that is so exceptional in scale, degree, or kind that it stands alone.
Usage
- The adjective unprecedented is used to modify nouns, emphasizing their unique and novel nature. It often describes events, situations, levels, or actions.
- It is typically used in formal or academic contexts but is also common in journalism and general discourse to highlight the extraordinary nature of something.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis.
- The team's success this season is unprecedented in the club's history.
- Scientists recorded unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Advanced Usage
- "on an unprecedented scale": happening to a degree or extent never seen before.
- The wildfire spread on an unprecedented scale, consuming millions of acres.
- "unprecedented in [something's] history": never having occurred before within a specific context or timeframe.
- The voter turnout was unprecedented in the nation's history.
Variants and Related Words
- Unprecedentedly (adverb): In a way that has no precedent.
- The stock market fell unprecedentedly fast.
- Precedented (adjective): Having a precedent; not novel. (This is the direct antonym but is much less commonly used.)
Synonyms
- Unparalleled: Having no equal; unmatched.
- Unheard-of: Not previously known or considered possible.
- Novel: New and not resembling something formerly known.
- Groundbreaking: Innovative; pioneering.
Antonyms
- Precedented: Having occurred before.
- Commonplace: Ordinary; not unusual.
- Routine: Regular; habitual.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- "In unprecedented fashion": In a manner that is completely new or has never been done that way before.
- The company grew in unprecedented fashion, becoming a global leader in just five years.
- "An unprecedented move": An action or decision that has no prior example.
- The judge's ruling was an unprecedented move that surprised legal experts.
Adjective
- having no precedent; novel
- an unprecedented expansion in population and industry