Unaimed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not directed toward any particular target, mark, or objective
2. Lacking a specific destination or goal at which something has been pointed or thrust
3. Having been left without being pointed or sent at any specific mark or purpose

Etymology: "Unaimed" is a plain formation: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "aimed", the past participle of "aim". The prefix traces back through Old English "un-" to Proto-Germanic "*un-", a root shared with German "un-" and with the Latin-derived "in-" (from the same Proto-Indo-European negative particle), so the sense "not" has been in the language since its earliest stages. "Aim" itself came into English from Old French "aesmer", meaning to estimate or calculate, which referred to judging the value of something before shooting. The sense of directing a missile at a target came later, so "unaimed" describes a thrown stone, arrow or remark that was sent without a target in mind.

Synonyms: aimless, random

Antonyms: aimed, targeted