Standard Lemma guide

unfounded

adj · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N F AW1 N D IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having no strong foundation; not based on solid reasons or facts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an unfounded report; unfounded fears

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: baseless, groundless, ungrounded, idle, footless, unfounded, unjustified, unproved, unproven, unsubstantiated, unsupported

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not having been founded or instituted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Bottomless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

without a basis in reason or fact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • baseless gossip
  • the allegations proved groundless
  • idle fears
  • unfounded suspicions
  • unwarranted jealousy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: baseless, groundless, idle, unwarranted, wild

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English founded English unfounded From un- + founded.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անհիմն (anhimn) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Basque: funsgabe — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Belarusian: беспадста́ўны (bjespadstáwny) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Belarusian: неабгрунтава́ны (njeabhruntavány) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Belarusian: безгрунто́ўны (bjezhruntówny) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Bulgarian: неоснова́телен (neosnovátelen) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Bulgarian: необоснова́н (neobosnován) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Catalan: infundat — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 莫須有 /莫须有 (mòxūyǒu) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Czech: nepodložený — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Danish: grundløs — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Danish: ubegrundet — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Finnish: perusteeton — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Finnish: perätön — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • French: non fondé — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • French: dénué de fondement — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • French: infondé — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • French: sans fondement — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Georgian: უსაფუძვლო (usapuʒvlo) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • German: unbegründet — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • German: grundlos — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Hebrew: חסר בסיס (khasár basís) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Hungarian: alaptalan — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Hungarian: megalapozatlan — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Japanese: 根拠のない (konkyo no nai) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Korean: 근거가 없는 (geun'geo-ga eomneun) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Northern Kurdish: bêbingeh — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Māori: mākiri — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Eastern Mari: амалдыме (amaldyme) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Norwegian Bokmål: grunnløs — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Norwegian Bokmål: grunnlaus — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ubegrunnet — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: grunnlaus — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Polish: bezpodstawny — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Polish: bezzasadny — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Polish: nieuzasadniony — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Portuguese: infundado — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Romanian: nefondat — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Romanian: neîntemeiat — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Russian: беспо́чвенный (bespóčvennyj) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Russian: безоснова́тельный (bezosnovátelʹnyj) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Russian: необосно́ванный (neobosnóvannyj) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Spanish: infundado — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Spanish: que no tiene ni pies ni cabeza — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Spanish: infundamentado — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Spanish: sin fundamento — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Spanish: non fundamentado — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Swedish: ogrundad — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Swedish: grundlös — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Swedish: obefogad — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Turkish: temelsiz — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Turkish: asılsız — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Turkish: köksüz — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Ukrainian: безпідста́вний (bezpidstávnyj) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Ukrainian: необґрунто́ваний (neobgruntóvanyj) — not based on solid reasons or facts
  • Vietnamese: vô căn cứ — not based on solid reasons or facts
Real reading context

unfounded in complete knowledge articles