unpunished
|un-pun-ished|
B2
/ʌnˈpʌnɪʃt/
(punish)
inflict penalty
Etymology
Etymology Information
'unpunished' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'punish', which comes from Latin 'punire', meaning 'to inflict a penalty'.
Historical Evolution
'punire' transformed into the Old French word 'punir', and eventually became the modern English word 'punish'. The prefix 'un-' was added to form 'unpunished'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, 'punish' meant 'to inflict a penalty', and 'unpunished' has consistently meant 'not having received a penalty'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not having received a penalty or retribution for wrongdoing.
The crime went unpunished due to lack of evidence.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45