Standard Lemma guide

unmannerly

adj · adv · 3 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ʌnˈmænəli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌʌnˈmænɚli/
  • General-American: /ˌən-/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not mannerly (“polite; having good manners”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discourteous, impolite, rude, uncivil, aweless, improper, bad-mannered, barbaric, bold, bumptious, crude, churlish, impudent, gauche, ill-bred, ill-mannered, incivil, insolent, lack-grace, mismannered, rantipole, rough, uncivilized, uncourteous, uncouth, uncultured, underbred, unmannerly, unpolished, unpolite, unrefined

Antonyms: mannerly, civil, civilized, complaisant, correct, courteous, cultivated, fair-mannered, genteel, polished, polite, politic, reasonable, refined, urbane, well-behaved, well-mannered, well-bred

2

adv

Meaning 2

In a way that is not mannerly; discourteously, rudely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impolitely, uncivilly

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

socially incorrect in behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • resentment flared at such an unmannered intrusion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ill-mannered, bad-mannered, rude, unmannered

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English unmanerli (“of a person: disorderly, unruly; of conduct: inappropriate, improper”), from un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + manerli, manerly (“well-mannered; modest; customary; moral”). Manerli is derived from maner (“kind, sort; form, nature; circumstances; method, manner; outward behaviour, manners; morals; custom, usage; cause, reason”) (from Anglo-Norman, Old French manere (“fashion, manner, way”), from Latin manuārius (“of or pertaining to the hand”), from manus (“hand”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh2- (“to beckon”)) + -li (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as un- + mannerly, and is cognate with Danish umanerlig, German unmanierlich, Middle Dutch onmanierlijc (modern Dutch onmanierlijk), Swedish omanerlig, West Frisian ûnmanearlik.

From Middle English unmanerli (“discourteously, rudely; excessively, unrestrainedly”) [and other forms], from un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + manerli, manerly (“with good manners, courteously; in accordance with custom or propriety, appropriately, becomingly, properly; respectfully”). Manerli is derived from maner (“kind, sort; form, nature; circumstances; method, manner; outward behaviour, manners; morals; custom, usage; cause, reason”) (see further at etymology 1) + -li (suffix forming adverbs). The English word is analysable as un- + mannerly, and is cognate with Middle Dutch onmanierlike (modern Dutch onmanierlijk).