Unrivaled

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Without equal or competition; supreme in excellence or achievement and standing above all others in a particular quality or field
2. Supreme in quality or ability, having no counterpart or rival and distinguished as the best in a specific area or context
3. Holding the highest position in terms of excellence or achievement, and lacking any equivalent in its domain or attribute

Etymology: "Unrivaled" is a plain English formation: the prefix "un-" attached to "rivaled," the past form of "rival." The prefix descends from an Old English "un-" meaning "not," which has been productive in English since its earliest days, letting speakers turn almost any adjective or participle into its opposite. Attaching it to "rivaled" yields a sense of something that has no rival, nothing to measure itself against. The base word itself carries a more dramatic history. "Rival" comes from Latin "rivalis," which originally meant someone who shared a stream with another person, from "rivus," a brook. Neighbors who drew water from the same stream were natural competitors for its use, and that practical quarrel over shared water gradually became the broader idea of contesting for the same prize or affection.

Synonyms: unequaled, peerless, incomparable

Antonyms: matched, rivaled