Word
unwritten
Phoneticsun·writ·ten, stress on the second syllable
US/ənˈɹɪtən/
UK/ʌnɹˈɪtən/
Definitions
01implicit or understood
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describes a rule or agreement that people follow even though it is not written down in a law or contract.
adj. referring to social norms, rules, or agreements that are implicit and understood by a group without being formally articulated or codified.
“There was an unwritten rule in the office that you never took the last cup of coffee.”
“The organization relied on a complex set of unwritten rules to maintain order, which often confused new employees accustomed to formal handbooks.”
02oral or spoken
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. passed from person to person by speaking rather than by writing.
adj. communicated or transmitted through speech or tradition rather than through written records.
“The tribe maintained an unwritten history that was passed down through stories.”
“Scholars have struggled to document the unwritten traditions of the region, as many of the elders who hold the knowledge are passing away.”
03blank or empty
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. having no writing on it yet.
adj. containing no written marks or text; remaining in a blank state.
“She stared at the unwritten page, waiting for an idea to come to her.”
“The poet viewed the unwritten scroll not as a void, but as a space of infinite potential for his next masterpiece.”
Real-World Examples
“The goal of interviews is to find who can do the job, not who already knows every unwritten social rule about iced coffee.” “Cool.”
And, of course, there’s an unwritten rule that says you can never stop talking about being in the club.” Etymology
From Middle English unwriten, from Old English unwriten, unġewriten (“unwritten”), equivalent to un- + written.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/unwritten