unchannelled
|un-chan-nelled|
/ʌnˈtʃænəld/
(unchannel)
not confined to a channel
Etymology
'unchannelled' originates from the Old English prefix 'un-' (negation) combined with the word 'channel', which comes from Old French 'chanel' and ultimately from Latin 'canalis', where 'canalis' meant 'pipe' or 'waterway'.
'channel' changed from Old French 'chanel' (from Latin 'canalis'), and the modern English adjective/past participle 'unchannelled' was formed by adding the English prefix 'un-' and the suffix '-ed' to the verb form.
Initially it meant 'not placed in a physical channel' or 'without a channel', but over time it came to include broader senses such as 'not directed' or 'not confined'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'unchannel'.
The river was unchannelled to restore its natural course.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
not confined to or directed into a channel; not channelled; free-flowing or undirected.
The unchannelled floodwaters spread across the valley.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/15 08:45