1.
unprecedented; unheard-of; never before experienced
Something that has never occurred or existed before. Used to describe events, disasters, achievements, or situations of extraordinary scale or novelty.
未曾有の危機だ。
This is an unprecedented crisis.
未曾有の大地震が発生した。
An unprecedented major earthquake occurred.
この国は未曾有の経済成長を遂げた。
This country achieved unprecedented economic growth.
未曾有の被害をもたらした台風の爪痕が残っている。
The scars left by the typhoon that caused unprecedented damage still remain.
A literary, formal word used to describe something that has never happened before — typically events of extreme magnitude. Originally from Buddhist scripture, where it described something so rare and wondrous it had never been seen.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 未曾有の危機: unprecedented crisis
- 未曾有の災害: unprecedented disaster
- 未曾有の事態: unprecedented situation
- 未曾有の規模: unprecedented scale
REGISTER:
Primarily used in formal speech, news reporting, and written contexts. It carries weight and gravity — not used for trivial or everyday things.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Buddhist Sanskrit. 未 (not yet) + 曾て (ever) + 有 (existed) — literally "has never yet existed." The character 曾 is sometimes written as 曽; both forms are accepted.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 前代未聞: unheard-of, unprecedented — emphasizes that nothing like it has been heard of before, often with a negative or scandalous nuance
- 空前: unprecedented — similar meaning but often paired with 絶後 in the idiom 空前絶後