Unclean

How to spell unclean

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce unclean

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unclean mean?

1. adjectiveDirty, impure, or not clean, whether in a physical or a ritual sense.

Unclean in a sentence

• The inspector closed the kitchen after finding unclean work surfaces.

• Certain foods were considered unclean under the old religious rules.

Where does unclean come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word joins the native prefix un-, meaning 'not', to the adjective 'clean', which comes from the Old English clǣne, meaning 'pure', 'clear', or 'free from dirt'. The clǣne root has relatives across the old Germanic languages, including the German klein, which today means 'small' but once carried a sense of 'fine' or 'delicate'. The combined form 'unclean' is itself very old, recorded in Old English as unclǣne, and it long carried a strong moral and religious charge as well as a literal one, describing things considered impure or forbidden under religious law. Because both parts are plain, native English elements, the spelling is straightforward: simply the prefix un- fixed to the familiar word clean, with no doubled letter at the join.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• clean (free from dirt, from Old English clǣne)