unfound

English

Pronunciation

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• Rhymes: -aʊnd

Etymology 1

From un- +‎ found (“discovered”).

Adjective

unfound (not comparable)

1. Not found.

Etymology 2

From un- +‎ found (“establish”).

Verb

unfound (third-person singular simple present unfounds, present participle unfounding, simple past and past participle unfounded)

1. (rare) To disestablish; to undo the founding of.
   • 2014, Jason Colavito, Jason and the Argonauts through the Ages, McFarland, →ISBN:

     The Etruscans and Romans practiced destructive rituals to deconsecrate temples and “unfound” cities. Such practices were necessary to remove an old god from his or her temple when rededicating a site to a new deity.

Etymology 3

Back-formation from unfounded.

Verb

unfound (third-person singular simple present unfounds, present participle unfounding, simple past and past participle unfounded)

1. To dismiss a criminal charge as unfounded.

   Synonym: (UK) no-crime

   • 2017 February 3, Robyn Doolittle, “Unfounded: Why Police Dismiss 1 in 5 Sexual Assault Claims as Baseless”, in The Globe and Mail:

     Manitoba had the second-lowest provincial rate, and Winnipeg police unfounded only 2 per cent of allegations. (Police and other experts who deal with the issue routinely use “unfound” as a verb.)