unrooted
|un-root-ed|
/ʌnˈruːtɪd/
(unroot)
lacking or having had roots removed
Etymology
'unrooted' originates from Old English elements: the prefix 'un-' (Old English 'un-') meaning 'not', and 'root' (Old English 'rōt') meaning 'root'.
'root' existed in Old English as 'rōt' (and in related Germanic languages), and the verb form 'to root' developed in Middle English; the prefix 'un-' was attached to form 'unroot' (to remove roots) in Middle/early Modern English, from which the past participle/adjective 'unrooted' arose.
Initially it referred chiefly to the literal action of removing roots ('having had roots removed'); over time it also developed figurative senses meaning 'lacking a stable base or home' or 'displaced'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past participle form of 'unroot': removed the roots of (a plant) or caused to lose roots; (figuratively) removed from a customary place or condition.
The gardener had unrooted several old shrubs to make room for a new path.
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Adjective 1
not having roots; lacking physical roots (literal) or lacking a stable foundation or established base (figurative).
The young sapling was unrooted after the heavy storm.
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Adjective 2
having been uprooted or removed from one's place; displaced, especially used of people or communities.
Many families felt unrooted after moving to the city for work.
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Last updated: 2025/10/07 17:31