Unprecedented definition : without previous instance; never before known or experienced; unexampled or unparalleled.. See examples of UNPRECEDENTED used in a sentence. UNPRECEDENTED definition : never having happened before: . Learn more. Unprecedented means having no previous example or being unparalleled. Find the origin, usage, and examples of this adjective, as well as related words and translations in different languages. The adjective ' unprecedented ' has its etymological roots in Latin. It is formed from the prefix 'un-,' meaning 'not,' and the word 'precedented,' which is derived from the Latin 'praecedere,' meaning 'to precede' or 'to go before.' Therefore, ' unprecedented ' literally means 'not having been preceded or gone before.' In English, it describes something as entirely new, never before seen or experienced in history, and without any precedent or prior reference point. ' Unprecedented ' is used to ...