adj · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ʌnˈivən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːvən
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N IY1 V AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a surface, not even; covered with raised spots, pits and grooves.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: jagged
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not level or smooth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Not uniform.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Varying in quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Odd.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: even
6
verb
Meaning 6
To make uneven.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an uneven color
uneven ground
uneven margins
wood with an uneven grain
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: even
8
adjective
Meaning 8
not divisible by two
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: odd
Antonyms: none provided
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
lacking consistency
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the golfer hit the ball well but his putting was spotty
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: spotty, scratchy
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective satellite
Meaning 10
(of a contest or contestants) not fairly matched as opponents
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
vaudeville...waged an uneven battle against the church
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mismatched
Antonyms: none provided
11
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
variable and recurring at irregular intervals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an uneven gait
uneven spacing
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English uneven, from Old English unefen (“unequal, unlike, dissimilar, diverse, irregular”), equivalent to un- + even. Cognate with Dutch oneven (“unequal, uneven, odd”), German uneben (“uneven, rough, irregular, bumpy”).
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
нечетен
(nečeten)
— (about surface) not even
Bulgarian:
тек
(tek)
— (about surface) not even
Catalan:
desigual
— (about surface) not even
Catalan:
escabrós
— (about surface) not even
Czech:
nerovný
— (about surface) not even
Danish:
ujævn
— (about surface) not even
Dutch:
oneven
— (about surface) not even
Esperanto:
malebena
— (about surface) not even
Finnish:
pariton
— (about surface) not even
Georgian:
არათანაბარი
(aratanabari)
— (about surface) not even
Georgian:
უთანაბრო
(utanabro)
— (about surface) not even
Georgian:
არასწორი
(arasc̣ori)
— (about surface) not even
Georgian:
უსწორმასწორო
(usc̣ormasc̣oro)
— (about surface) not even
Georgian:
უთანასწორო
(utanasc̣oro)
— (about surface) not even
German:
uneben
— (about surface) not even
Ancient Greek:
ἀνώμαλος
(anṓmalos)
— (about surface) not even
Ancient Greek:
ἄνισος
(ánisos)
— (about surface) not even
Irish:
anacair
— (about surface) not even
Irish:
míchothrom
— (about surface) not even
Latin:
inīquus
— (about surface) not even
Latin:
impār
— (about surface) not even
Māori:
pāhikahika
— (about surface) not even
Māori:
moana
— (about surface) not even
Māori:
karawhiti
— (about surface) not even
Norwegian Bokmål:
ujevn
— (about surface) not even
Norwegian Bokmål:
ujamn
— (about surface) not even
Norwegian Bokmål:
kupert
— (about surface) not even
Norwegian Nynorsk:
ujamn
— (about surface) not even
Polish:
nierówny
— (about surface) not even
Portuguese:
desigual
— (about surface) not even
Russian:
неро́вный
(neróvnyj)
— (about surface) not even
Russian:
нечётный
(nečótnyj)
— (about surface) not even
Spanish:
desigual
— (about surface) not even
Spanish:
escabroso
— (about surface) not even
Swedish:
ojämn
— (about surface) not even
Belarusian:
няро́ўны
(njarówny)
— not level or smooth
Bulgarian:
неравен
(neraven)
— not level or smooth
Bulgarian:
грапав
(grapav)
— not level or smooth
Catalan:
rugós
— not level or smooth
Catalan:
escabrós
— not level or smooth
Czech:
nerovnoměrný
— not level or smooth
Danish:
ujævn
— not level or smooth
Esperanto:
monotona
— not level or smooth
Finnish:
epätasainen
— not level or smooth
French:
inégal
— not level or smooth
French:
scabreux
— not level or smooth
Georgian:
უსწორმასწორო
(usc̣ormasc̣oro)
— not level or smooth
German:
uneben
— not level or smooth
Ancient Greek:
ἀνώμαλος
(anṓmalos)
— not level or smooth
Ancient Greek:
ἄνισος
(ánisos)
— not level or smooth
Hungarian:
egyenetlen
— not level or smooth
Irish:
aimhréidh
— not level or smooth
Irish:
cnocánach
— not level or smooth
Irish:
míchothrom
— not level or smooth
Latin:
asper
— not level or smooth
Māori:
pāhiwihiwi
— not level or smooth
Māori:
torehapehape
— not level or smooth
Māori:
whakanokenoke
— not level or smooth
Norwegian Bokmål:
ujevn
— not level or smooth
Norwegian Bokmål:
ujamn
— not level or smooth
Norwegian Nynorsk:
ujamn
— not level or smooth
Old English:
unsmēþe
— not level or smooth
Plautdietsch:
ruch
— not level or smooth
Polish:
nierówny
— not level or smooth
Portuguese:
desnivelado
— not level or smooth
Romanian:
denivelat
— not level or smooth
Russian:
неро́вный
(neróvnyj)
— not level or smooth
Russian:
негла́дкий
(negládkij)
— not level or smooth
Russian:
шерохова́тый
(šeroxovátyj)
— not level or smooth
Spanish:
desnivelado
— not level or smooth
Spanish:
disparejo
— not level or smooth
Spanish:
desparejo
— not level or smooth
Ukrainian:
нері́вний
(nerívnyj)
— not level or smooth
Bulgarian:
неравномерен
(neravnomeren)
— not uniform
Bulgarian:
непостоянен
(nepostojanen)
— not uniform
Catalan:
escabrós
— not uniform
Czech:
nerovnoměrný
— not uniform
Esperanto:
neregula
— not uniform
Esperanto:
nesamforma
— not uniform
Finnish:
epäsäännöllinen
— not uniform
Māori:
kūreureu
— not uniform
Māori:
pāhikahika
— not uniform
Māori:
karawhiti
— not uniform
Polish:
nierównomierny
— not uniform
Portuguese:
desuniforme
— not uniform
Russian:
неравноме́рный
(neravnomérnyj)
— not uniform
Spanish:
disparejo
— not uniform
Spanish:
desparejo
— not uniform
Spanish:
dispar
— not uniform
Bulgarian:
нееднакъв
(neednakǎv)
— varying in quality