unconditional
Meaning
not limited by or dependent on any conditions
complete and absolute
Structure
Usage
the prisoners were granted unconditional release.
a parent's love should be unconditional.
they demanded an unconditional surrender from the defeated army.
Etymology
The word "unconditional" is a Modern English formation built upon the older word "conditional," which entered English in the 14th century from Latin via Old French. The Latin root condicio originally meant "agreement" or "terms," which evolved into the sense of a "stipulation" or "prerequisite state." The prefix "un-," of Germanic origin, is a prolific negator in English. Therefore, the literal construction "not + of a conditional state" logically yields the modern abstract meaning of being absolute, unlimited, and not subject to any requirements or contingencies.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not". - condition: from latin condicio (agreement, stipulation), via old french. in this word, it functions as the core noun root meaning "state" or "requirement". - al: a suffix of latin origin (-alis) used to form adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by".