Dictionary

unlearn en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ʌnˈləːn/ (UK)
• /ʌnˈlɝn/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English unlernen. By surface analysis, un- + learn.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To discard the knowledge of.
   • It was another lesson from Fort Hare that I had to unlearn in Johannesburg. 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 80:
   • It is a language that, once learnt, I have been unable to unlearn. 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 231:
2. (transitive) To break a habit.

Forms

Deriveds

unlearnable · unlearner

Relateds

deprogramming

Translations (20)

ca desaprendre (to discard the knowledge of) · fi unohtaa opittu (to discard the knowledge of) · ru разу́чиваться (to discard the knowledge of) · la dēdiscō (to discard the knowledge of) · pl oduczyć się (to discard the knowledge of) · de verlernen (to discard the knowledge of) · nl afwennen (to break a habit) · nl verleren (to discard the knowledge of) · ru оту́чиваться (to discard the knowledge of) · pt desaprender (to discard the knowledge of) · it disimparare (to discard the knowledge of) · fi unohtaa (to discard the knowledge of) · tr unutmak (to discard the knowledge of) · fr désapprendre (to discard the knowledge of) · eo mallerni (to discard the knowledge of) · nl afleren (to discard the knowledge of) · cmn 揚棄 /扬弃 (to discard the knowledge of) · es desaprender (to discard the knowledge of) · ru разучи́ться (to discard the knowledge of) · ru отучи́ться (to discard the knowledge of)