un-

Meaning

1. not
2. lack of
3. contrary to traditional norms; unconventional

Synonyms

non-

un

dis-

in-

-less

not yet

over-

negative prefix

DE

🇩🇪

a-

im-

mal-

absence

overmuchness

certainty

completeness

im

not

🚫

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʌn/

Etymology

table
PIE word
*ne
From Middle English un-, from Old English un-, from Proto-West Germanic *un-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-. Cognate with Scots un-, on- (“un-”), North Frisian ün-, Saterland Frisian uun-, West Frisian ûn-, on-, Dutch on-, Low German un-, on-, German un-, Danish u-, Swedish o-, Norwegian u-, Icelandic ó-. More distant cognate with Latin in-, Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) (whence English a-, modern Greek α- (a-)) and Sanskrit अ- (a-).
Doublet of in- and a-.