ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Word parts›Prefixes›un
PrefixOld English
un
opposite, against
Old English un says not: undaunted means not intimidated, unbiased means not slanted, and unruly means not governed.
Words built from it
- unruly — disorderly and hard to control
un- (not) + ruly (governed by rule) - unbiased — showing no prejudice; fair
un- (not) + biased (having a slant or bias) - unassuming — modest, not pretentious
un- (not) + assuming (acting superior, presumptuous) - uncanny — strange in an unsettling way
un- (not) + canny (familiar, known, from 'ken') - undaunted — not discouraged by difficulty
un- (not) + daunted (intimidated, from Latin domitare 'to tame') - unequivocal — leaving no doubt; clear
un- (not) + equivocal (ambiguous, open to two meanings) - unscrupulous — without moral principles
un- (not) + scrupulous (careful of ethics, from Latin scrupulus)
Looks like it, but is not
- unanimous — from Latin unus 'one' plus animus 'mind' — the 'un' here means 'one,' not 'not'
- uniform — from Latin unus 'one' + forma 'shape,' not the Old English un- prefix
- mundane — from Latin mundus 'world,' not the Old English un- prefix
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More prefixes
- sub — under
- super/sur — over, beyond
- syl/sym/syn — alongside, same, together
- tele — beyond, afar
- trans — across, beyond, through