Unprecedented
adjective
Definition
Never having happened or existed before.
Context Alive
Nobody at the company had ever seen anything like it. Sales hit unprecedented numbers that summer, breaking every record in the company’s thirty-year history. The whole team was in shock, and even the CEO couldn’t believe the reports sitting on her desk.
Meanings
1 meaning 1 Never Having Happened or Existed Before (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about something completely new — something that has no example or match in the past. Imagine a country experiencing a heatwave so extreme that no weather records in history come close. Scientists say the temperatures are unprecedented — nothing like this has ever been recorded before. This is describing something with no previous equal. You might hear “the floods caused unprecedented damage” or “the company experienced unprecedented growth this year.” Or think about a news report saying a city is facing an unprecedented crisis after a major earthquake and a hurricane hit in the same week. The word carries weight — it signals that something is truly extraordinary and beyond what anyone has seen. ✏️ It comes from “precedent,” which means a previous example. So unprecedented literally means “without any previous example” — that’s why it feels so powerful when used correctly.
Vivid ExampleWhen the pandemic first hit, the whole world faced an unprecedented challenge that nobody was prepared for. Schools closed, businesses shut down, and millions of people had to adapt to a completely new way of living. Nothing in recent history had come close to disrupting daily life on such a massive scale.
Examples from the Street
Common Patterns
unprecedented levels/rates of something → amounts or speeds never reached before
unprecedented growth/demand/success → expansion, need, or achievement never seen before
unprecedented move/step/decision → an action nobody has ever taken before
unprecedented access (to something) → a level of entry or availability never previously granted
unprecedented in (history/scale/scope) → having no previous example in a particular area
truly/absolutely unprecedented → used for emphasis — completely without any prior equivalent
unprecedented crisis/threat/challenge → a serious situation with no historical comparison
unprecedented times → a period so unusual that nothing in living memory compares
face unprecedented pressure → deal with a level of stress or difficulty never experienced before
on an unprecedented scale → at a size or extent never previously seen
unprecedented ruling/verdict → a legal decision with no prior equivalent
set an unprecedented precedent → establish a new standard that didn’t exist before (note: sometimes considered redundant)
unprecedented in the history of something → never having occurred in the entire past of an institution, country, or field
Collocations
3 collocationsunprecedented scale
a size or scope never seen before
absolutely unprecedented
completely without any historical comparison
unprecedented access
a level of entry never previously granted
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The floods caused destruction on an unprecedented scale — entire villages were wiped out overnight
The flooding brought damage at a level never seen before — whole communities were destroyed in a single night.
2
The streaming platform experienced unprecedented demand when the new series launched
The online viewing service saw a level of interest never previously recorded when the new show was released.
3
The government took the unprecedented step of closing all schools for three months
The authorities made the entirely new decision to shut every educational institution for a quarter of a year.
4
She was given unprecedented access to classified military documents for her research
She was granted a level of permission to view secret army files that no one had ever been allowed before.
5
The heatwave brought unprecedented temperatures to northern Europe, breaking every record
The extreme hot weather produced levels of heat in the northern part of the continent that had never been measured before, surpassing all previous highs.
6
The court delivered an unprecedented ruling that could change the way internet companies operate
The judge made a legal decision with no prior equivalent that could transform how online businesses function.
7
We’re living through truly unprecedented times — the pace of technological change is extraordinary
We’re experiencing a period that has no real comparison in the past — the speed of advances in technology is remarkable.
8
The charity received an unprecedented number of donations after the documentary was broadcast
The organisation got more contributions than it had ever received before once the programme was shown on television.
9
The economic recovery has been unprecedented in both speed and strength
The financial bounce-back has been unmatched in how quickly and powerfully it happened.
10
Hospitals faced unprecedented pressure as patient numbers surged beyond anything they had planned for
Medical centres dealt with a level of strain never experienced before as the number of people needing treatment rose far beyond expectations.
Learner Examples
★
The shift to online teaching during the lockdown was unprecedented — no educator had ever had to adapt so quickly to an entirely new way of delivering lessons
The move to remote instruction during the restrictions was something never seen before — no teacher had ever needed to adjust so rapidly to a completely different method of running classes.
★
Students now have unprecedented access to learning resources through the internet, which makes self-study easier than ever
Learners today can reach a level of study materials through the web that was never previously available, which makes independent practice simpler than at any point in the past.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
0 items
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsunheard of
never happened before
groundbreaking
completely new
unique
one of a kind
extraordinary
beyond normal
Antonymscommon
happens regularly
typical
normal occurrence
routine
standard