uncollected
|un-col-lect-ed|
/ˌʌn.kəˈlɛk.tɪd/
not gathered / not collected
Etymology
'uncollected' is formed from the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') + 'collected', the past participle of 'collect'. 'un-' comes from Old English 'un-' meaning 'not', while 'collect' comes from Latin 'collēgere' (com- 'together' + legere 'to gather').
'collect' comes from Latin 'collēgere' → past participle Latin 'collectus' → entered English via Old French/Medieval Latin and Middle English as 'collecten'/'collect', producing the past participle 'collected'. The negative/adjectival form 'uncollected' is formed in English by prefixing Old English 'un-' to that past participle.
Originally 'collect' and its Latin root meant 'to gather together'; over time the past participle 'collected' has been used adjectivally, and with the prefix 'un-' it came to mean 'not gathered' or more specifically 'not retrieved or unpaid' in contexts such as mail, samples, or receivables.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past participle/adjectival form meaning 'not collected' (formed by adding the prefix 'un-' to the past participle 'collected').
The samples remained uncollected until the next morning.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
not gathered, retrieved, or taken; left without being collected (e.g., items, mail, or samples).
Uncollected mail piled up in the building's lobby.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/08 14:47