Dictionary

unfound en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English found English unfound From un- + found (“discovered”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Not found.

unfound en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder. Proto-Germanic *anda- Proto-West Germanic *anda- Old English and- Old English on- Middle English on- English un- English found English unfound From un- + found (“establish”).

Meanings

1. (rare) To disestablish; to undo the founding of.
   • The Etruscans and Romans practiced destructive rituals to deconsecrate temples and “unfound” cities. Such practices were necessary to remove an old god from his or her temple when rededicating a site to a new deity. 2014, Jason Colavito, Jason and the Argonauts through the Ages, McFarland, →ISBN:

Forms

unfound en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Back-formation from unfounded.

Meanings

1. To dismiss a criminal charge as unfounded.
   • Manitoba had the second-lowest provincial rate, and Winnipeg police unfounded only 2 per cent of allegations. (Police and other experts who deal with the issue routinely use “unfound” as a verb.) 2017 February 3, Robyn Doolittle, “Unfounded: Why Police Dismiss 1 in 5 Sexual Assault Claims as Baseless”, in The Globe and Mail:

Forms

Synonyms

no-crime