unwanted English · revision 39714

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1697, W. Congreve, The Mourning Bride}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʌnˈwɒntɪd/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It was formed [[af|en|un-|wanted]], the negative prefix with the past participle of the verb [[want]].^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Not wanted, needed or desired: 1697, in William Congreve's tragedy ''The Mourning Bride''.^(OED 2026)^(HTOED) Etymonline dates it to the 1690s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The meaning has stayed close to its first use.^(OED 2026) The Shorter Oxford adds the shades "without value" and "surplus",^(SOED 2002) and Merriam-Webster also gives the sense "harmful in character, undesirable", as of a fault in a picture.^(MWU 2024) Used as a noun, for an unwanted person, it is recorded in the Historical Thesaurus from 1932.^(HTOED) The derived noun ''unwantedness'' is recorded from the mid 20th century.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1697 – not wanted or desired, in Congreve.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1932 – as a noun, a person who is rejected.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not wanted or [[desire|alt=desired]]; [[unwelcome]]: ''an unwanted guest at the party''.^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)^(OED 2026)

+ # Not needed; [[superfluous]] or left over: ''They gave their unwanted furniture to a charity shop.''^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Harmful or [[undesirable]] in effect: ''unwanted side effects''.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[unwantedly]]

+ * [[unwantedness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[want]]

+ * [[wanted]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}