Revised 2017
unleashverb
Factsheet
What does the verb unleash mean?
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb unleash. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the verb unleash?
About 3occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1770 | 0.0054 |
| 1780 | 0.0049 |
| 1790 | 0.0056 |
| 1800 | 0.0049 |
| 1810 | 0.0052 |
| 1820 | 0.0066 |
| 1830 | 0.0089 |
| 1840 | 0.015 |
| 1850 | 0.02 |
| 1860 | 0.025 |
| 1870 | 0.029 |
| 1880 | 0.033 |
| 1890 | 0.044 |
| 1900 | 0.076 |
| 1910 | 0.14 |
| 1920 | 0.27 |
| 1930 | 0.54 |
| 1940 | 0.83 |
| 1950 | 1.2 |
| 1960 | 1.5 |
| 1970 | 1.9 |
| 1980 | 2.2 |
| 1990 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 3.0 |
| 2010 | 3.1 |
How is the verb unleash pronounced?
British English
/(ˌ)ʌnˈliːʃ/
un-LEESH
U.S. English
/ˌənˈliʃ/
uhn-LEESH
Where does the verb unleash come from?
Earliest known use
late 1600s
The earliest known use of the verb unleash is in the late 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for unleash is from 1671, in the writing of Edward Phillips, writer and biographer.
unleash is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: un- prefix2, leash v.
Nearby entries
- unlearn, v.a1500–
- unlearnability, n.1777–
- unlearnable, adj.1785–
- unlearned, adj. & n.c1384–
- unlearnedly, adv.1533–
- unlearnedness, n.1555–
- Unlearned Parliament, n.1643–
- unlearnt, adj.1609–
- unleasable, adj.1872–
- unleased, adj.1631–
- unleash, v.1671–
- unleashed, adj.1825–
- unleast, adj.?1440
- unleave, v.1589–
- unleaved, adj.¹?1553–
- unleaved, adj.²1605–
- unleavened, adj.1530–
- unleaving, n.1611–
- unlectured, adj.1593–
- unled, adj.1562–
- unlede, n.²Old English–1330
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for unleash, v.
unleash, v. was revised in June 2017.
unleash, v. was last modified in September 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into unleash, v. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1924)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for unleash, v.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- unlearn, v.a1500–
- unlearnability, n.1777–
- unlearnable, adj.1785–
- unlearned, adj. & n.c1384–
- unlearnedly, adv.1533–
- unlearnedness, n.1555–
- Unlearned Parliament, n.1643–
- unlearnt, adj.1609–
- unleasable, adj.1872–
- unleased, adj.1631–
- unleash, v.1671–
- unleashed, adj.1825–
- unleast, adj.?1440
- unleave, v.1589–
- unleaved, adj.¹?1553–
- unleaved, adj.²1605–
- unleavened, adj.1530–
- unleaving, n.1611–
- unlectured, adj.1593–
- unled, adj.1562–
- unlede, n.²Old English–1330
