Unobtained

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not acquired or secured through efforts; remaining unachieved or lacking possession; representing something that has not been attained or received in any form
2. Denoting a state of being that has not reached a desired goal; illustrating a condition of absence in terms of ownership or accessibility; reflecting instances where something is yet to be acquired or possessed
3. Characterizing a lack of achievement in obtaining certain objectives; indicating a failure to acquire or secure needed items or statuses; describing situations where something remains outside one's reach or possession

Etymology: "Unobtained" is about as plain as English word-building gets: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "obtained," the past participle of "obtain." Our word "obtain" comes from Latin "obtinere," built from "ob-" ("toward" or "against") and "tenere" ("to hold"), so the root idea is holding onto something that has been reached for. Put "un-" in front and you get the sense of something that has been sought but never got hold of. The prefix "un-" is an old and productive English tool. English has long attached it to participles and adjectives to make negative forms, which is why speakers can coin a term like "unobtained" on the spot whenever a thing has not yet been acquired, without needing a dictionary entry for it first. The word therefore carries no special history of its own; its meaning comes straight from the parts it is built from.

Synonyms: not acquired, unattained

Antonyms: obtained, acquired, achieved