Etymologically
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unforgettable

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Pronunciation

  • /ˌʌnfə(ɹ)ˈɡɛtəbəl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + forget + -able,[2][3][4] which Etymonline and the Shorter Oxford analyse as un- (“not”) and forgettable.[5][6] The OED points out that forgettable itself is recorded later,[2] from 1827 in Etymonline, in a translation from German by Carlyle,[5] and the OED and Merriam-Webster first record it in 1845.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

That cannot be forgotten: 1806, in the Annual Review.[2][5][3]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed close to the literal one, "that cannot be forgotten", but the word is now used above all in praise, of a thing so striking or impressive that it stays in the memory;[6][7] the Shorter Oxford also glosses it "wonderful".[6] The adverb unforgettably is recorded from the late 19th century.[6]

Timeline

  • 1800–10 – the period Dictionary.com gives for the adjective.[4]
  • 1806 – first record, in the Annual Review.[2][5][3]
  • 1827 – forgettable, in Carlyle (later than unforgettable).[5]
  • late 19th century – the adverb unforgettably.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. So striking, moving or impressive that it cannot be forgotten; highly memorable: The view from the summit at dawn was unforgettable.[7][3][6]

Word family

  • unforgettably
  • unforgettableness

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins