First published 1921; not yet revised

unescortedadjective

Meaning & use
Etymology
Pronunciation
Frequency

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Factsheet

What does the adjective unescorted mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective unescorted. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the adjective unescorted?

About 0.1occurrences per million words in modern written English

1780	0.0057
1790	0.0053
1800	0.0055
1810	0.0037
1820	0.0057
1830	0.0079
1840	0.009
1850	0.01
1860	0.011
1870	0.013
1880	0.017
1890	0.029
1900	0.04
1910	0.053
1920	0.079
1930	0.1
1940	0.12
1950	0.13
1960	0.14
1970	0.13
1980	0.13
1990	0.13
2000	0.13
2010	0.13

See frequency

How is the adjective unescorted pronounced?

British English

/ˌʌnᵻˈskɔːtᵻd/

un-uh-SKOR-tuhd

U.S. English

/ˌənᵻˈskɔrdəd/

uh-nuh-SKOR-duhd

/ˌənˈɛˌskɔrdəd/

uhn-ESS-kor-duhd

See pronunciation

Where does the adjective unescorted come from?

Earliest known use

late 1700s

The earliest known use of the adjective unescorted is in the late 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for unescorted is from 1774, in Trinket.

unescorted is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: un- prefix1, escort v., -ed suffix1.

See etymology

Nearby entries

unerrableness, n.1646–67
unerrancy, n.1646–
unerring, n.1709–
unerring, adj.1626–
unerringly, adv.1645–
unerringness, n.a1674–
unerupted, adj.1802–
unescapable, adj.1614–
uneschewable, adj.c1374–
UNESCO, n.1946–
unescorted, adj.1774–
unescutcheoned, adj.1814–
unespied, adj.c1374–
unessayed, adj.1642–
unessence, v.1644–
unessential, adj. & n.1634–
unestablish, v.1649–
unestablished, adj.1646–
unestablishment, n.1776–
unesteemed, adj.a1557–
unestimable, adj.1542–1670

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Entry history for unescorted, adj.

unescorted, adj. was first published in 1921; not yet revised

unescorted, adj. was last modified in July 2023

The following sections of this entry have been updated:

Etymology (June 2022)

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into unescorted, adj. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of unescorted, adj. were published in:

OED First Edition (1921)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View unescorted, adj. in Second Edition

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