Unconditional

How to spell unconditional

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce unconditional

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unconditional mean?

1. adjectiveNot subject to any conditions, limits, or qualifications; absolute.

Unconditional in a sentence

• The bank offered him an unconditional refund within thirty days.

• The contract included an unconditional guarantee on every part.

Where does unconditional come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built on 'condition', which traces back to the Latin condicio, meaning an agreement, a stipulation, or a term that must be met. That noun came from condicere, 'to agree upon' or 'to settle together', formed from con- 'together' and dicere 'to say'. English took 'condition' through Old French in the 1300s, and the prefix un-, a native English negative meaning 'not', was later attached along with the adjective ending -al to mean 'not bound by any conditions'. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the unstressed syllables hide a single 'd' and the 'ti' that is pronounced like 'sh', so writers must remember it follows the pattern of 'condition' exactly. Once you see 'un' plus the whole word 'condition' plus 'al', the assembly is reliable.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• condition (from Latin condicio: agreement, stipulation)
• -al (adjective suffix)