unlearned
unlearned Lexical Profile
unlearned Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not having acquired much education or formal knowledge; ignorant or illiterate.
"The pamphlet was written in plain, accessible language so that even unlearned readers could grasp its message."
Known or performed naturally without having been taught or acquired through experience.
"Blinking in response to a sudden bright light is an unlearned reflex shared by all healthy infants."
• verb
To discard or rid oneself of a habit, false belief, or piece of knowledge from one's memory (past tense and past participle of unlearn).
"After switching to a new instrument, she had to work hard till she unlearned her old fingerings."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used as an adjective meaning 'uneducated' or 'illiterate,' the suffix is traditionally pronounced as a separate syllable (/ʌnˈlɜːrnɪd/), whereas the sense 'not acquired by study' and the past-tense verb form are pronounced with two syllables (/ʌnˈlɜːrnd/).
• Rhymes for unlearned
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English ungelæred, formed from the prefix un- ('not') and the past participle of læran ('to teach').