unreconstructed
Meaning
not reconciled or converted to the current political orthodoxy.
not rebuilt, reorganized, or reformed.
Structure
Usage
he remains an unreconstructed traditionalist in his artistic views.
the unreconstructed factory building stood as a relic of the industrial past.
her unreconstructed opinions on the matter made debate impossible.
Etymology
The word "unreconstructed" is a Modern English formation built upon the older adjective "reconstructed." The core, "construct," originates from the Latin construere, a compound of con- (together) and struere (to pile, build). The prefix "re-" was added to imply building again or anew, often in a figurative sense of reforming or reorganizing. By adding the negative prefix "un-," the word creates a direct negation, first used literally for physical structures and later applied metaphorically, most famously to describe individuals who refused to accept the social and political changes of the American civil war era, thus remaining "not built again" in their beliefs.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin, meaning "not," used to form negatives. - re: a latin prefix, meaning "again" or "back." - constructed: from latin constructus, the past participle of construere, meaning "to heap together, build, erect." the suffix -ed forms the past participle/adjective.