Etymologically
Log in

unspecified

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the English word unspecified

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1624 Thomas Heywood, Gynaikeion
Ultimate origin
English un-,specified

Pronunciation

  • /ʌnˈspɛ.sɪ.faɪd/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + specified, the second part being the past participle of specify.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not specified: 1624, in Thomas Heywood's Gynaikeion, or Nine Books of Various History concerning Women.[2] Etymonline dates it to the 1620s.[4]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed the same since the 17th century.[2][4] Johnson (1755) defined it as "not particularly mentioned", quoting Sir Thomas Browne's Vulgar Errours.[5]

Timeline

  • 1624 – not specified, not named in detail.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not stated, named or described in detail; not specified: The company paid him an unspecified sum to settle the claim.[6][3][2]

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 Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Unspecified.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/unspecified. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·